Czech Crescent Rolls (Rohlik)
From: Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers, by Daniel Leader, Copyright 2007

Rohliky are the signature pastry of the Czech republic. They are something like a French baguette but without the French attitude. You can spread butter and jam on top, or you can cut them in half and make a meat-n-cheese sandwich. The Czechs also eat them plain or dip them in a glass of milk. This recipe from Daniel Leader's book Local Breads is close to the real thing.

Allow 9 to 15 minutes kneading time; 1 to 1 1/2 hours to ferment; 30 to 45 minutes to proof; 15 to 20 minutes to bake.

Equipment:
2 baking sheets
rolling pin
Bench scraper or chef's knife
ruler
pastry brush

1 1/4 cups water, warm (85 to 95 degrees F)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Toppings: poppy, sesame, or whole caraway seeds, sea salt

Mix the dough: pour the water into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast, flour, butter, sugar, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon just until a rough dough forms.

Knead the dough: By hand: Lightly dust the counter with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and knead it with smooth, steady strokes. At first the dough will be gooey because of the warm butter, but it will soon become more coherent and less sticky. Keep your hands floured and continue to knead until the dough is very smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes. (My note: it took me almost 17 minutes to be happy with the texture...) By machine: Use the dough hook and mix the dough on medium-low speed (4 on a KitchenAid mixer) until it is very smooth and elastic, 9 to 10 minutes.

Ferment the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled, clear 2-quart container with a lid. With masking tape, mark the spot on the container that the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume. Cover and leave it to rise at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees F) until it reaches the masking-tape mark, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It will feel very springy.

Roll out the dough: Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Stir together the seeds and kosher salt in a small bowl. Fill another small bowl with water and set it aside. Lightly dust the counter with flour. Scrape the dough onto the counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle about 8" by 24". Lightly dust the underside and the top of the dough once or twice as your roll so that it won't stick to the counter or the rolling pin. It will be soft and stretchy. Lightly cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Shape the rolls: With the long side of the rectangle facing you, fold the dough in half lengthwise to mark the center line and then open it up again and lay it flat on the counter. With a bench scraper or chef's knife, cut along the center line. Keep the pieces side by side. With a ruler, measure out 4-inch-long portions on the long side of each strip of dough. Cut the dough at each 4-inch mark. You should have twelve 4-inch-by-4-inch squares. Cut each square diagonally, so you have 24 triangles. Gently pull the two points of the longest side of one triangle to stretched side toward the opposite point while gently pulling on the point to elongate the triangle. Place the rolled dough on the baking sheet, curving the ends inward to make a crescent shape and making sure that the point is tucked underneath. Repeat with the remaining dough triangles, placing them in rows on the baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Lightly brush the rolls with water and sprinkle the tops with the seed mixture. Lightly drape them with plastic wrap.

I found these pictures on a Czech site for shaping the rolls, which is a little bit different that that described above:

Proof the rolls: Let the shaped and covered rolls rise at room temperature until they are pillowy and expanded but the layers are still distinct, 30 to 45 minutes.

Prepare the oven: About 15 minutes before baking, place one oven rack in the top third of the oven and a second rack in the middle. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the rolls: Remove the plastic wrap and place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until the tops are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, switching the rack position of the sheets halfway through baking.

Cool and store the rolls: Place the baking sheets on wire racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve the rolls warm or at room temperature. Rohlik are best eaten the day they are baked.

Alternately, parbake the rolls: Remove the rolls from the oven when they have risen and their crusts are set but they are still pale, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the baking sheets on wire racks and let them cool completely, about 30 minutes. Freeze the rolls in resealable plastic bags. To finish baking, place the frozen rolls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart, and let them defrost for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm.

Variation: To make a multigrain variation, just decrease the amount of all-purpose flour to 2 3/4 cups and add 2 tablespoons each of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and 1 tablespoon of flax seeds when mixing the dough.

Makes 24 rolls (1.3 oz/37 grams each)