Molletes — soft Andalusian bread rolls

Set aside 15 g of the flour in a small bowl for dusting the work surface and rolls later. Put the remaining 485 g in a large bowl. Mix the measured lukewarm water with the crumbled fresh yeast until it disperses. Do not add sugar or extra water.

Add the salt and all the yeast water to the flour. Mix, then knead for about 8–10 minutes, lifting and folding the dough in the bowl until it comes together and becomes more elastic. The dough should stay soft and slightly sticky; a dough scraper will help. Do not add the reserved flour at this stage.

Gather the dough together in the bowl, cover and leave in an undisturbed place for about 60–90 minutes. Wait until the dough is noticeably puffy and roughly doubled in volume. It may need more time in a cool kitchen. Do not grease the bowl.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with some of the reserved flour. Use a scraper to take the dough out of the bowl, divide it into eight similar portions and gently tuck the edges of each underneath to form loose balls. Keep the remaining measured flour for shaping and dusting.

Gently flatten each portion with your hand into an oval about 12 × 8 cm and about 1.5 cm thick. Transfer four rolls to each baking sheet, leaving space between them. Use the remaining measured flour to lightly dust your hands and the tops of the rolls. Do not add extra flour and do not score the tops.

Cover the baking sheets with clean kitchen towels and leave for about 30–45 minutes, until the rolls are noticeably puffy. Preheat the oven to 180°C, using conventional top and bottom heat. Keep the second sheet covered in a cooler place away from the warm oven, as it will be waiting while the first batch bakes. Adjust the rising time to how the dough looks.

Bake the sheets one after the other on the middle rack of the oven, each for about 15–18 minutes. The rolls should be baked through and springy but keep a pale cream-colored crust; the bases may turn lightly golden. If the center still seems like wet dough, bake them for a few minutes longer. Do not wait for deep browning or a hard crust.

Transfer the molletes to a wire rack and cool for about 30 minutes before splitting. It is easier to judge the soft crumb once the rolls have cooled. Serve fresh, or split and lightly toast them. Keep completely cooled rolls in an airtight container and eat them the next day, or freeze them to preserve their softness.