Soft or crusty rolls from Brilliant Breads by James Morton (available here)
Requires
500 g bread flour
20 g caster sugar
10 g fine grain cooking salt
1 x 7 g sachet instant dry yeast
Up to 330 g full-fat milk, ROOM TEMP
Oil for greasing
Instructions
Mix flour and sugar in a big bowl.
Gently mix in salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Don't mix the two yet - salt may kill the yeast
Add up to 330 g milk until it forms a dough. Make sure it's about room temp or slightly warmer.
Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
Deflate and knead.
Cover again and leave until at LEAST doubled in size.
Flour a chopping board or flat surface and place the dough on it. Roll into a sausage and cut into quarters, then each quarter into thirds (for 12 total pieces).
Make each piece into a roll:
Hold one piece of dough on a flat palm.
Cup the other hand over the dough and move it in circles so that it forms a ball on your palm.
Place the rolls on a oiled baking tray and leave somewhere warm for another hour or until doubled in size again. It doesn't matter if they are touching.
Before the end of this stage, preheat the oven.
Bake:
For soft rolls, use a higher temperature (230 °C) and bake for 10-15 min.
For crusty rolls, use a lower temperature (200 °C) and bake for 20-25 min. Slash the tops of the rolls in a cross shape with a bread knife before baking.
Notes
The book has good pictures and explains the temps/times thing very well, plus kneading methods.
If the rolls are done, they should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. (dont burn your fingers though)
Ideally resist temptation and leave the rolls till fully cooled before cutting/eating them, so they can continue cooking or whatever