Late-Harvest Carrot Rolls

Directions

1. For the Starter
2. Put the flour in a medium storage container. Sprinkle the yeast into the carrot juice, stir to mix, and pour over the flour. Mix with your fingers, pressing the mixture into the sides, bottom, and corners until all of the flour is wet and fully incorporated. Cover the container and let sit at room temperature for 10 to 14 hours. The starter will be at its peak at around 12 hours.

1. For the Carrots & Rolls
2. For the carrots: Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Trim and peel the carrots, then cut them into 1/4-inch (6 millimeter) dice. Put the carrots in a medium bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and salt, then toss until evenly coated.
3. Put the butter on a half sheet pan and put the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Spread the carrots on the pan and toss to evenly coat with the butter. Spread the carrots in an even layer, then bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to use.
4. For the Dough: In a small bowl, stir together the white, buckwheat, and whole wheat flours, salt, and yeast.
5. Pour about one-third of the carrot juice around the edges of the starter to release it from the sides of the container. Transfer the starter and carrot juice to an extra-large bowl along with the remaining juice. Using a wooden spoon, break the starter up to distribute it in the juice.
6. Add the flour mixture, reserving about one-sixth of it along the edge of the bowl. Continue to mix with the spoon until most of the dry ingredients have been combined with the starter mixture. Switch to a plastic bowl scraper and continue to mix until incorporated. At this point the dough will be sticky to the touch.
7. Push the dough to one side of the bowl. Roll and tuck the dough, adding the reserved flour mixture and a small amount of additional flour to the bowl and your hands as needed. Continue rolling and tucking until the dough feels stronger and begins to resist any further rolling, about 10 times. Then, with cupped hands, tuck the sides under toward the center. Place the dough, seam-side down, in a clean bowl, cover the top of the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
8. For the first stretch and fold, lightly dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Using the plastic bowlscraper, release the dough from the bowl and set it, seam-side down, on the work surface. Gently stretch it into a roughly rectangular shape. Fold the dough in thirds from top to bottom and then from left to right. With cupped hands, tuck the sides under toward the center. Place the dough in the bowl, seam-side down, cover the bowl with the towel, and let rest for 45 minutes.
9. For the second stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the first stretch and fold, then return the dough to the bowl, cover with the towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
10. For the third stretch and fold, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle. Pinch the butter into pieces, distributing them over the top of the dough. Using your fingers or a spatula, spread the butter across the surface of the dough. Roll up the dough tightly from the end closest to you; at the end of the roll the dough will be seam-side down. Turn it over, seam-side up, and gently press on the seam to flatten the dough slightly. Fold in thirds from left to right and then do 4 or 5 roll and tuck sequences to incorporate the butter. Turn the dough seam-side down and tuck the sides under toward the center. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with the towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
11. For the fourth and final stretch and fold, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, scatter the roasted carrots over the top, and gently press them into the dough. Roll up the dough tightly from the end closest to you; at the end of the roll the dough will be seamside down. Turn it over, seam-side up, and gently press on the seam to flatten the dough slightly. Fold in thirds from left to right and then do 1 roll and tuck sequence to incorporate the carrots. Turn the dough seam-side down and tuck the sides under toward the center. Return the dough to the bowl, seam-side down, cover with the towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.
12. Line a half sheet pan with a linen liner and dust fairly generously with the dusting mixture.
13. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 70 grams each). Let rest for 5 minutes.
14. Tightly roll up the pieces into small tubes about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Arrange the rolls on the lined pan in three rows of four rolls each and dust well with the dusting mixture. Fold the linen to create support walls along the length of the rolls on both sides of each row. Fold any extra length of the linen liner over the top or cover with a kitchen towel. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for 16 to 22 hours.
15. Set up the oven with a cast-iron skillet for steam, then preheat the oven to 500° F (260° C). Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
16. Using the linen liner, lift and ease each roll off the pan and onto your hand. Set the rolls on the second pan with the length of the rolls running across the pan, in two rows of six rolls each. Score the top of each roll.
17. Put the pan in the oven. Using heavy-duty oven mitts or potholders, pull out the hot skillet, add about 11/2 cups of ice cubes, then slide it back in and close the oven door. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 465° F (240° C) and bake, rotating the pan about two-thirds of the way through baking, until the tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
18. Set the sheet pan on a cooling rack. Give the rolls a few minutes to cool slightly, then place them directly on the cooling rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. The rolls are best eaten the day they’re baked, but once completely cooled they can be stored (uncut) in a paper bag or cardboard box for up to 24 hours.