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    4-Ingredient Perfect Rolls

    4-Ingredient Perfect Rolls

    Bread that literally sings as it cools—crispy, flaky, magical

    Have you ever had bread that sings? I'll teach you how to make it! This is one of my favorite things about baking—that moment when the bread comes out of the oven and starts crackling as small cracks form on the crust. The sound is mesmerizing, and it's the sign that your bread will be absolutely amazing.

    With just 4 simple ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and salt—I create bread with a crispy, flaky crust and incredibly soft inside. The therapeutic process of shaping and folding helps these rolls maintain their perfect shape.

    Follow along with the video to hear the singing crust and learn the new scoring technique.

    Singing Bread Recipe

    The lift-and-slap technique is super effective at building gluten strength without traditional kneading. I use two different shaping methods—both create beautifully tight balls that rise perfectly. The key is tightening the surface before the final rise, which helps the rolls maintain their shape and creates that signature singing crust.

    Ingredients

    • 220 ml Water(1 cup)
    • 3 g Fresh yeast(¾ tsp, or 2g dry yeast (½ tsp))
    • 320 g Bread flour(2 ½ cups)
    • 6 g Salt(1 tsp)

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. 1
      Mix the dough: In a large bowl, mix water (220ml) with fresh yeast (3g) or dry yeast (2g) until dissolved. Add bread flour (320g) and salt (6g). Mix until there's no more dry flour—just mix, no need to knead. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
      Timer Available:First Rest (30:00)
    2. 2
      First stretch and fold: With a wet hand, stretch the 4 sides of the dough and fold them to the center. Lift the dough and slap it back - the "lift and slap" technique is super effective! Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
      Timer Available:Second Rest (30:00)
    3. 3
      Second stretch and fold: Repeat the stretch, fold, lift and slap process. The dough will be much more elastic now! Let rise until doubled in size - this usually takes about 2 hours.
      Timer Available:Main Rise (2:00:00)
    4. 4
      Divide and pre-shape: Sprinkle flour on work surface. Fold the dough so it's easier to cut. Bubbles are always a great sign! Divide into 4 equal parts, brushing off any extra flour. Shape each piece using your preferred method: Method 1: Flatten gently, fold into a ball, make it as tight as possible, rub against work surface to seal. Method 2: Flatten gently, roll tightly, roll in opposite direction to make a ball, pinch and seal well. The process is so therapeutic! Let rest for 10 minutes uncovered.
      Timer Available:Ball Rest (10:00)
    5. 5
      Final shaping: Fold each roll to tighten the surface, pinch to seal, and give it an extra seal. This step helps them maintain their shape beautifully.
    6. 6
      Final rise: Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 430°F (220°C).
      Timer Available:Final Rise (30:00)
    7. 7
      Score and prepare: Score the bread with a sharp blade using your preferred pattern (try a new cut!). Sprinkle a little water around the bread—just a few drops for steam.
    8. 8
      Bake: Cover with another tray of the same size and bake at 430°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Remove the top tray and bake for 10 more minutes.
      430°F (220°C)
      Timer Available:Baking Time (30:00)
    9. 9
      Cool and serve: Listen as the bread sings! Small cracks form on the crust creating that magical sound—you could listen to it all day! Test by tapping the bottom—hollow taps mean perfectly baked.

    Watch the Video Tutorial

    See every step in action! Follow along with the complete video guide for perfect results.