Rye Dinner Rolls with Crisp Tops

Ingredients

• 1.3 teaspoons active yeast dry
• 1 large egg white 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons rye flour dark light
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.8 teaspoon sugar 
• 0.3 cup unbleached flour all-purpose
• 1  scant cup warm water divided

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• plastic wrap
• wooden spoon
• kitchen towels

Directions

1. Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and sugar in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
2. Stir flours, salt, and remaining scant 3/4 cup water into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.
3. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead with lightly floured hands until dough is elastic and smooth but still supple and slightly sticky, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
4. Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft- free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
5. Punch down dough (do not knead).
6. Remove from bowl and fold into thirds like a letter. Divide into 16 pieces and roll each piece into a ball, transferring to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and loosely covering with plastic wrap (or towel).
7. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
8. Lightly brush each ball of dough with some of egg white. Gently lay a round of rye-crisp dough, egg-wash side up, on top of each roll.
9. Bake rolls until golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature.
10. Stir together flours and salt, then stir in water and oil until a dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Divide into 16 very small pieces.
11. Roll out each piece on lightly floured surface to a thin round (about 2 inches; shape need not be perfectly round) and arrange in 1 layer on a sheet of parchment.
12. Beat egg white with a pinch of salt and lightly brush some of it onto rounds.
13. Let stand, uncovered, to dry slightly while rolls rise.
14. Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
15. Lightly brush each ball of dough with some of egg white. Gently lay a round of rye-crisp dough, egg-wash side up, on top of each roll.
16. Bake rolls until golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature.
17. •Dough can be formed into balls and allowed to rise slowly, covered well with plastic wrap and chilled, 8 to 16 hours. Bring to room temperature while making rye-crisp tops.•
18. Rolls are best the day they are baked but can be frozen (first cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.