Rosemary Buns with Olive Oil

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir the yeast, water, and lager together. Add a little of the flour before the salt, then the rest of the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until you have a cohesive dough. (If you add the salt first, you risk breaking down some of the yeast’s leavening ability.) The dough should be soft and pliable, without sticking to your fingers when you work it. If the dough is exceptionally sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Leave the dough in the bowl or dump it into a plastic tub, cover it with a lid or tea towel, and refrigerate. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.

The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it stand for 1 hour to reach room temperature.

Divide the dough into 10 or 12 pieces and roll them against your work surface to create tight little buns. Place the buns on a floured surface, well-spaced apart, and let rise until they have doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Press down the middle of each bun and gently push out the sides to form a depression in the middle of approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and a crust all the way around. Gently lift each bun and divide between two pieces of parchment paper, leaving them to rise for 15 to 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C), with two rimmed baking sheets inside.

Drizzle the buns with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary leaves and some sea salt.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully slide each one under a sheet of the risen buns. Bake the rosemary buns until golden and lightly toasted on the surface, and the internal temperature has reached 200°F (93°C), 15 to 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Sides