Savory Rolls

Directions

1. 1.

   1. Combine all sponge starter ingredients in a mixing bowl. The resulting goo should look wet and reckless. Wrap the bowl up and let it sit in the corner (preferably a warm one) for four hours or as long as overnight.

2. 2.

   2. Combine all the dry ingredients for the dough in a large bowl or the mixing bowl for a counter top mixer. Mix them, mechanically or manually, so that all they are distributed evenly. Add water, one cup of the sponge, and butter and mix to combine.

3. 3.

   3. Add the egg. You want to do this after the butter so the egg doesn't cook. Mix by hand for ten to fifteen minutes (three to five with a Kitchen Aid using the paddle on medium speed) until the dough forms a smooth paste. It should still be sticky and stretchy, but not very wet. If you're using a machine; switch to the dough hook and mix for another five minutes on medium; if you're manual, turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead the hell out of it for seven minutes.

4. 4.

   4. In yet another bowl, add the olive oil and give a swirl. Form the dough into a ball, and roll it in the oil so that it's greasy everywhere. Cover the bowl with plastic and let it sit for an hour in a warm corner.

5. 5.

   5. For filling, make Cast-Iron Mushrooms but add 2 pounds of sliced shallots. When the shallots begin to brown, add 1/2 cup cream sherry and reduce by half. Set aside.

6. 6.

   6. Form the rolls: on a floured surface, gently roll out the dough into a 12 by 18 inch square. Spread the sherry-butter-shallot-mushroom goo all over the giant dough square on your counter. Make sure to spread evenly all the way to the edges. Apply the dill and the cheese in a similar fashion; evenly distribute all the way to the corners of your dough sheet.

7. 7.

   7. Sprinkle salt and grind pepper all over the thing and preheat your oven to 350.

8. 8.

   8. As if it were a joint—that's right—carefully roll the rectangle into itself. Start at the bottom and curl inwards until you have a bulging log. Use a sharp knife and slice rolls off of the left side of the log. You can make them as thick as you'd like; we like ours about two inches thick.

9. 9.

   9. Gingerly place the rolls side by each on a greased (with butter) baking pan and cover them loosely with plastic.

10. 10.

    10. When thirty minutes—minimum!—has elapsed, slide the rolls into the oven and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes. When they start to smell amazing, check them. You're looking for a nice golden brown hue on the top of each one.