Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls

Serves	Total Time
24	3.37 hours

Ingredients - 1/2 Batch

0.25 (57 g) cup whole milk
21 g bread flour
0.25 (57 g) cup water
1 Tbsp whole milk
0.75 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup (113 g) sour cream
25 g granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
313 g bread flour
1 Tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
0.25 cup chives
1/2 egg
some flaky sea salt
some pepper
1 Tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter

Ingredients - 1 Batch

0.5 (113 g) cup whole milk
42 g bread flour
0.5 (113 g) cup water
2 Tbsp whole milk
1.5 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup (227 g) sour cream
50 g granulated sugar
4 tsp salt
2 egg
4 Tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter
625 g bread flour
2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
0.5 cup chives
1 egg
some flaky sea salt
some pepper
2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter

Cookware

1 small saucepan
1 stand mixer
1 large bowl
1 plastic wrap or a silicone lid
1 13 x 9 pan
1 wheel cutter or bench scraper
1 fork
1 small bowl
1 knife or an offset spatula

Instructions

Step 1

Make the tangzhong by whisking 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup bread flour (42 g), and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very stiff paste forms (it should resemble mashed potatoes), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Be sure to add the liquid to the dry ingredients to avoid clumping.

Step 2

Scrape tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Step 3

Gently warm remaining 2 Tbsp whole milk in the same saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat, add active dry yeast, and whisk until dissolved. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add room temperature sour cream, granulated sugar, kosher salt, 2 eggs, 4 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter, and remaining 5 cups bread flour (625 g) to tangzhong. Scrape in yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to medium and mix, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally and adding more flour by the tablespoonful if sticky, until dough is smooth and supple, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 5

Scrape dough onto a work surface and form into a smooth ball.

Step 6

Dust lightly with flour. Place inside a clean large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a silicone lid. Let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1.5 hours.

Step 7

Meanwhile, coat a 13 x 9 pan, preferably metal, with 2 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter (it will be a generous layer, which is what you want). Uncover the dough and punch down lightly to expel some of the gas.

Step 8

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into a square.

Step 9

Roll out, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 12" square and sprinkle finely chopped chives evenly over dough.

Step 10

Starting at one end, loosely roll up dough. Flatten with the heel of your hands into a long rectangle. Roll out the dough again, dusting with more flour as needed, into a 16 x 6" rectangle.

Step 11

Using a wheel cutter or bench scraper, cut dough into twenty-four 2" squarish pieces (an 8 X 3 grid).

Step 12

Working with 1 piece of dough, gather all the corners and pinch together to form a teardrop shape. Place seam side down on work surface. Cup your hand over dough and drag across the surface, moving your hand in a rapid circular motion, to form dough into a tight ball. Do not add flour, as you want friction between the dough and the surface. Place the ball in the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, spacing to make a 6 X 4 grid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until rolls are nearly doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

Step 13

Meanwhile, place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

Step 14

Using a fork, whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl until no streaks remain. Uncover the pan and gently brush tops of rolls with egg, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper. Bake rolls until tops are deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 15

Remove pan from oven and immediately brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Slide a knife or an offset spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen rolls, then slide a metal spatula underneath to loosen the bottom. Slide the entire grid of rolls out and onto a wire rack. Serve warm or let cool.

Step 16

Rolls can be formed and arranged in pan 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let rise at room temperature before baking (this can take up to 3 hours). Rolls can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool. Store airtight at room temperature.