Steps

• Pour the liquid sourdough starter and water into a bowl and dissolve the starter well.

  Add the three flours and mix with a spoon until a soft mixture is obtained.

  Continue working the dough by hand quickly, for at least 5 minutes, but better 10, and in any case until the dough ball, when worked, detaches from the sides of the bowl.

  👉 If the dough ball is too soft – it can happen depending on the flours used – add a little flour at a time as needed.

  

• Once the dough ball is ready, grease it with oil (just a little) over the entire surface, especially where it touches the bowl.

  

• Place the bowl in a sheltered place (in the oven or inside the microwave). During the first hour of rising, make folds in the bowl two or three times every 20-30 minutes.

  

• Let rise until doubled in size for about 8 hours (I kneaded in the evening, so overnight).

  Once doubled, you can proceed with forming the rolls and baking, but to let the dough mature better, cover the bowl with cling film (or even just a plate) and put it in the fridge for a few hours.

  👉 The resting time in the fridge doesn’t need to be strict, the three times I made this recipe I varied between 6 to 12 hours.

  

• Take the bowl out of the fridge, and while the dough is still cold, take small portions of it.

  👉 Since it’s a rather soft dough, it is helpful to handle it while cold so it doesn’t stick to your fingers.

  👉 You can get between 20 to 25 rolls, depending on size.

  Gently handle each portion of dough, trying not to flatten it too much, to form small rolls or small spirals.

  

• In the meantime, turn on the oven.

  Place the empty the pantry rolls on a baking tray or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them at 392°F for 20-25 minutes, a variable time depending on the size of the rolls and how golden you prefer them.

  ☝ The photos shown in this recipe refer to the very first trial (the actual emptying of the pantry), when the rolls turned out medium-small, and I took them out of the oven slightly golden (for fear, later unfounded, that they would harden). On the third trial, I greatly reduced the size of the rolls, making them mini rolls, and let them brown for a few more minutes. They turned out perfect. 😋

• I recommend trying them warm, the crispy crust is irresistible!

  

• As always, every time I repeat a recipe I rarely replicate it exactly the same, so with these three batches of rolls I tried to:

  – use chickpea flour in increasing amounts, the first time 55 g (more or less a gram, that is what was in the almost empty bag), then I increased to 70 g and finally the third time 80 g. My infallible family jury decreed 55 g not very noticeable, and 70-80 g the right amount, with the chickpea flour flavor appreciable without overwhelming

  – replace part of the water (100 g) with kefir (but yogurt is fine too). Since I always have surplus kefir at home, it’s a habit of mine to use it in leavened doughs. The rolls came out great both with just water and with kefir, the version with kefir was perhaps slightly less crispy and softer, but in that case (second trial) I had made the rolls larger than the previous time, so the variables were two, the comparison was not… let’s say… entirely scientific 😄😅😁

  Ok, and after this technical news, from the column “science in the kitchen by the ounce”… that’s all! Returning you to your regularly scheduled programming! 😄