Perfect Sunday morning spelt rolls

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 600 g spelt flour, freshly ground, alternatively spelt flour type 1050
• 380 g water, lukewarm
• 6 g fresh yeast, preferably organic yeast, the amount is really enough
• 1 tsp, stripped baking malt, approx. 6 g
• 1 tsp salt, approx. 8.5 g
• 6 g butter
• Oat flakes, preferably freshly rolled for rolling

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

from self-ground grain, makes about 9 rolls

Freshly mill the spelt and finely sift out the bran (sieve size approx. 0.5 to 0.7 mm). If purchased, this probably corresponds to type 1050 (not wholemeal) flour. Without much effort, knead the ingredients into a fairly soft, supple, and smooth dough (no pre-dough is necessary). Knead until the dough has noticeably changed in consistency and is homogenized, which shouldn’t take too long. Kneading for hours isn’t necessary. With a little practice and brisk movements, the dough will be just about manageable. It may be a little sticky, but that’s okay. Therefore, don’t add any more flour, or there won’t be enough moisture for proofing. Let it rise overnight or for at least 10 hours in the refrigerator. If the lukewarm water is added to the other ingredients as directed, this is enough to get the proofing process started before the dough cools down too much in the refrigerator. The next morning, take the dough out and knead it briefly but thoroughly again. Divide the dough into 9 portions, approximately 108g per roll. Shape the dough pieces into long, approximately 12-14cm long rolls. The rolls will take on their own shape, then roll them in oatmeal to stop them from sticking. Place them on a baking tray with holes so the bottom of the rolls is brown and crispy, and cut a slit lengthwise. Spray with water, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 240°C (fan oven) and place an old baking dish with stones (lava stones are best; you can get them from barbecue or sauna accessories) right at the bottom of the oven on a rack and heat it up. After about half an hour, place the rolls on the middle rack of the oven. Don’t be alarmed; they will have spread out a bit, but they will rise nicely in the oven. Since you’re baking with fan oven, you can easily bake 18 rolls at once. Quickly pour approximately 500 ml of boiling water into the tray with the hot stones. Be careful, there is a risk of burns from the rising steam! Close the door immediately and bake for 10 minutes. Check the rolls after 10 minutes. If the desired degree of browning is not yet achieved, which is likely, remove the tray and let the rolls brown for another 1-2 minutes. It will probably take a few attempts to get the rolls perfect. This recipe is the result of three months of constant testing. You can never go exactly by the times because too many factors come into play, such as room and refrigerator temperature, stovetop, etc. Always check them now and then and, if in doubt, decide by feel. Just don’t let them rise for too long, or the dough will collapse again in the oven.