Buns
Description
It pairs perfectly with tea and coffee. Roman rolls “ciriolas” (Ciriola Romana), despite their ancient history, remain a very popular pastry. Made with sourdough, they don’t lose their freshness; on the contrary, their flavor improves. Preparing them is very easy if you follow the step‑by‑step recipe, but waiting for them to come out of the oven, when such an aroma spreads through the house, is the harder part. They can be served with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
First, prepare the starter; for this, mix 35 g of flour, 16 g of water, and 16 g of sourdough starter.
- 3
Step 3
Mix the ingredients for the pre-ferment. For the pre-ferment to “come up” it takes 8–12 hours. I have a strong starter “Levioto Madre”, so I placed it in a warm spot for 2 hours.
- 4
Step 4
The ready starter looks fluffy and porous, with "bubbles" and "threads" of dough appearing.
- 5
Step 5
Pour the water (184 ml) into the mixing container, add the starter, salt, and honey.
- 6
Step 6
Thoroughly mix the contents until it turns into an emulsion.
- 7
Step 7
Sifted flour, add dry yeast, mix. Use yeast in a minimal amount so that the dough rises quickly and does not develop a slightly sour taste.
- 8
Step 8
Add the flour and yeast mixture to the dough container, and knead the dough at medium mixer speed for 5–7 minutes.
- 9
Step 9
Grease the dough proofing bowl with a drop of vegetable oil, place the rounded dough ball in it, and let it ferment at room temperature for 2 hours.
- 10
Step 10
Check the dough’s readiness by pressing a finger into it; if the indentation left does not spring back, you can shape the buns.
- 11
Step 11
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying while working with it.
- 12
Step 12
Make a flatbread from the dough, and using the base of your palm, press a hole in the center of the flatbread.
- 13
Step 13
Grab the top of the flatbread with your fingers and, moving it toward yourself while simultaneously gripping the lower edge of the flatbread, roll it with a rolling pin, stretching the edges outward. So that a "mouth" forms in the center.
- 14
Step 14
Place the pieces on a sturdy cloth that should first be dusted with flour. Lay them seam side down. Let them proof for 60–70 minutes.
- 15
Step 15
After proofing, the buns look like this.
- 16
Step 16
Place the pieces on a baking sheet with the seam facing up. Preheat the oven to 240–250 °C. Place a tray or pan on the lower rack of the oven and add ice or pour water to create steam. Bake for 20–25 minutes, the first 10 minutes with steam.
- 17
Step 17
While the buns were baking, an incredible aroma of fresh bread spread throughout the house. And here they are, the long‑awaited “Roman Chirioli,” beautiful, fragrant, crunchy!