These are great everyday soft rolls that taste perfectly plain and straight-up, nothing brioche-like about them, even with the small amounts of different ingredients added in. The extra ingredients beyond flour, water and yeast all help to somewhat imitate the “improvers” bigger bakeries add to get the same soft light result, but easier to get hold of for the kitchen or small bakery. My advice: start out making a half batch of this dough until you get the hang of it.

Makes 8 large rolls

Method

Put the water in a mixing bowl then whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Then whisk in the yoghurt, egg, milk and honey.

Weigh then flour, salt and sugar, then add the liquid ingredients. Mix well then knead until very smooth and elastic. 

Then add oil and butter, mix well (it’s a bit trick by hand, you have to pull the dough around a bit at first to the get the fat melding into it) then knead for 2-3 minutes more until smooth again.

Leave the dough to rise covered in a warm place for about an hour, at about 30C. A dough box is ideal.

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, about 100g each. Shape into balls then place seam-side down on trays (4 to a tray) lined with non-stick paper. Cover and leave somewhere warm to rise until doubled or slightly more.

Heat the oven to 200C fan. Dust the tops of the rolls with flour and bake for about 10-15 minutes with steam until a rich deep brown on top. Remove from the oven, leave until cold then bag immediately to keep soft. They freeze very well.