Ale Bread Rolls

Tip the flours into a large mixing bowl and on one side of the bowl put the salt and the other the yeast. Add the butter and three quarters of the ale and just start to bring the ingredients together gentle with your finger tips. Add the ale drop at a time until you the flour is clean from the inside of the bowl and you have formed a rough dough (you may not need all the ale, or you may need a little but more – the dough should be soft but not soggy).

Coat a work surface with a little olive oil, tip the dough out onto it and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until it forms a soft and smooth skin. Don’t freak out by the initial wet stage, just work through this. Put the dough in a large, lightly oil bowl, cover with oil cling film and leave somewhere warm (I choose my airing cupboard) for at least an hour until it has doubled in size

Line a 2 baking trays with parchment

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it into itself repeatedly, until the air is knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 14 equal pieces and roll into balls with your hands. On each tray, place a ball in the centre and then arrange the rest of the balls around it so they are almost touching. You will want 7 balls on each tray. Put each tray in a clean plastic bag and leave again for at least an hour, until the dough is at least double in size.

Pre heat the oven to 200’C

Dust each roll with flour and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and smelling gorgeous. Leave to cool on a wire rack slightly before serving.