course ground sea salt for sprinkling tops of rolls
After Baking
4 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the rolls once baked
Instructions
Dough
Add the yeast, brown sugar, and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and allow the yeast to sit for about 10 minutes until lightly foamy.
Add the bread flour, salt, and melted butter to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix until a smooth ball is formed. Allow the dough hook to knead the dough for an additional three minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl to rise. Cover the dough loosely with a towel or saran wrap. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, about one hour.
Once risen, punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 12 approx. even pieces. Roll each piece into a “snake” and then tie a loose “knot” with the snake. Place the tied pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Baking Soda Wash
In a small pot mix together baking soda and water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Once boiling, drop the knots in the water two or three at a time and allow them to sit for 3 minutes. (Do not leave longer or the final rolls will have a metallic taste.) Return the boiled knots to the parchment paper sheet. Repeat until all knots have been boiled.
Before Baking
Sprinkle each of the knots liberally with the course ground sea salt.
Baking/ After Baking
Preheat the oven to 400*. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a deep golden brown.
After removing from the oven brush immediately with the melted butter. Four tablespoons may seem like quite a lot of butter and you can reduce it if you wish, but if you keep bushing and use it up the rolls taste extra amazing!
Serve while the rolls are still warm. Rolls can be stored in the fridge for several days in an airtight container. However, they do not reheat well in the microwave. I recommend reheating in the oven for a few minutes at 200* instead.