Chewy Sourdough Rolls

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. 

Combine all the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — to make a somewhat tacky, elastic dough; it should be relatively smooth and soft.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, until almost doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.

Gently deflate the dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide it into eight equal pieces (about 110g each), and shape the pieces into tight balls.

Place the balls in a lightly-greased large Dutch oven or other oven-safe, lidded pan.

Cover the rolls with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap or the pan’s lid, and let them rise for about 1 hour until they're puffy but not necessarily doubled in size.

About 30 minutes into the rise, preheat the oven to 500°F.

Just before baking, whisk together the malt powder and water and brush it onto the risen rolls.

Sprinkle the Everything Bagel Topping onto the rolls and cover the pan with its lid.

Put the rolls into the oven, reduce the temperature to 450°F, and bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pan and continue to bake the rolls about 10 minutes longer, until they’re a deep golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of one reads at least 205°F. 

Remove the rolls from the oven and cool them on a rack. Alternatively, for crustier rolls, open the oven door and allow the uncovered rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.

Store leftover rolls in plastic at room temperature for up to three days. Freeze the rolls, wrapped airtight, for up to three months.