Sourdough Scottish Morning Rolls

Morning rolls are a tradition in Scotland. We merged two (1 and 2) recipes to achieve absolute sourdough perfection.
This is a Working Mama recipe. Make your Leaven in the morning before going to work, then the dough when you are back home. Let the dough at room temperature for three hours, then reserve it in the fridge until you are back from work the day after. Follow the rest of the recipe and bake your rolls.

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Leaven

25g mature sourdough starter (fed 6-12 hours previously)

35g wholemeal flour

15g dark rye flour

75g  water 

Dough

The leaven

500g Canadian strong white bread flour 

50g mature sourdough starter 

30g vegetable shortening (we used Pure Sunflower Spread)

10g sugar 

10g salt 

400ml cold water 

For the Coating 

50g plain flour 

50g semolina

To make the leaven mix the mature sourdough starter with the flours, then add water. Set this aside from anywhere from 6-10 hours, typically overnight.

Make the dough by mixing the leaven with the rest of the ingredients, minus the vegetable shortening.

Once the dough comes together add the vegetable shortening and work until smooth and elastic. Expect a very wet dough.

Put the dough in a bowl and insert the bowl in a big plastic food grade bag. Leave it to ferment at room temperature for about 3 hours, then in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature for about 1 hour.

Once the dough is at room temperature, combine the semolina and plain flour for the coating. Take a large baking sheet and dust it liberally with the coating mixture (make sure to leave enough to coat the rolls). 

Empty the dough on to a work surface which has been liberally dusted with the rice/flour coating mixture. This is where a large silicone spatula or scraper is useful. 

Now using a dough scraper divide the dough into 10 pieces. 

Don’t worry if it is sticky or messy as these rolls aren’t supposed to look perfect. 

Dust your fingers with the coating mixture and take each piece of dough, one at a time, and dip it into the coating mixture and place it on the baking sheet. 

They don’t need to be in the shape of a roll but try to keep in the air that is inside the dough. 

Do this with each piece, placing them near to each other so that when they rise they will bake together. Despite the stickiness of this dough the coating mixture works wonders for stopping the dough from sticking to everything. 

Leave them to rise for 2- 3 hours.

Bake in a 250˚C preheated oven on a high shelf for 15 – 20 minutes or until the tops are dark. The rolls should be well fired for the right flavour.