Pão Francês Paulistano

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale or dry measuring cups and measuring spoons
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Bench scraper
• •Half-sheet baking tray or baking stone
• •Small metal pan for oven moisture
• •Sharp razor blade or serrated knife
• •Cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Stir the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the lukewarm water and mix with a spoon or your hand until no dry flour is hiding at the bottom. The dough should look shaggy and a little sticky, not smooth yet. Cover and rest for 20 minutes, because the flour needs time to drink the water. This rest makes kneading easier and keeps you from dumping in extra flour that would make the rolls heavy.

   Warm water wakes the yeast. Hot water kills it. If it feels uncomfortable on your finger, it's too hot for the dough.
2. 2

   Knead until elastic

   Knead on the counter for 8 to 10 minutes, pushing the dough away, folding it back, and turning it. It should go from rough to smooth, springy, and a little tacky. If it sticks badly, dust the counter with 1 teaspoon flour at a time, not handfuls. The kneading builds the stretchy net that holds the yeast bubbles. Too much flour tightens that net and gives you a dry little brick, and a gente is not doing that tonight.

3. 3

   Let it rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes depending on your kitchen. Press a floured fingertip into the dough. If the dent slowly fills back in, it's ready. If it snaps back fast, give it more time. Yeast follows the temperature of the room, not your impatience.

4. 4

   Shape the rolls

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 100 g each or a scant 1/2 cup of dough. Flatten each piece into a small rectangle, roll it up tightly from a short side, pinch the seam closed, and gently taper the ends. Put the rolls seam side down on parchment. That tight surface is what helps the bread lift upward in the oven instead of spreading flat like it gave up.

5. 5

   Proof and heat

   Cover the shaped rolls with a clean towel and let them puff for 40 to 60 minutes. While they proof, heat the oven to 240°C (465°F) with a heavy baking tray or baking stone on the middle rack and an empty metal pan on the lower rack. The rolls are ready when they look swollen and a fingertip dent fills back slowly. The hot tray gives the dough a fast push from below, and the proof decides whether the inside is soft or dense.

6. 6

   Cut the tops

   Use a sharp blade or serrated knife to cut one long line down the top of each roll, about 1 cm deep. Cut with confidence, not little scratches. The cut tells the bread where to open as it expands. Skip it and the dough bursts wherever it finds weakness, like a badly packed suitcase.

7. 7

   Bake with moisture

   Slide the rolls, still on the parchment, onto the hot tray. Carefully pour 1 cup boiling water into the hot metal pan on the lower rack and close the oven door right away. Use metal, never glass, because sudden boiling water can crack glass. Bake for 10 minutes. That wet burst keeps the crust flexible while the rolls expand, so they open cleanly instead of setting too soon.

8. 8

   Finish crisp

   After 10 minutes, carefully remove the water pan or leave the oven door open for 10 seconds to let the extra moisture out. Lower the oven to 220°C (425°F) and bake 8 to 12 minutes more, until the rolls are deep golden, light in the hand, and hollow-sounding underneath when tapped. The second half needs drier heat so the thin crust can crisp.

9. 9

   Cool before splitting

   Move the rolls to a rack and wait at least 15 minutes before cutting. You'll hear the crust tick softly as it settles. That is good. Cut too soon and the crumb turns gummy because the inside is still setting. Then split one, add butter, and collect the cook's tax.

Chef Tips

• •Bread flour gives the roll more chew and lift. All-purpose flour still works, especially for a first try. Learn the method before you start blaming the bag.
• •Do not buy powdered bread improver for this. A padaria may have its formulas and equipment, but at home flour, water, yeast, salt, heat, and timing are enough. That's desgourmetizar in the right direction.
• •The honest shortcut is making the dough overnight. Use 1 teaspoon yeast instead of 2, refrigerate the dough right after kneading, then shape and bake the next day. The cost is time, but the flavor gets better.
• •If the crust softens after a few hours, put the rolls in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Bread forgives reheating when you use dry heat.
• •Freeze the baked rolls once completely cool. Reheat straight from frozen at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, and you have breakfast solved without buying a packet pretending to be food.

Advance Preparation

• •For a slower overnight dough, use 1 teaspoon instant yeast instead of 2 teaspoons. After kneading, cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, then shape, proof, cut, and bake.
• •Baked rolls keep 1 day at room temperature in a paper bag. Recrisp in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
• •Fully cooled rolls freeze well for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)