Dorset Knobs

Name: Dorset Knobs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: West Country
Ingredients: 450 g strong white bread flour; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tsp caster sugar; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 50 g Unsalted butter; 150 ml Whole milk; 150 ml warm water; 15 g Unsalted butter

Traditional Dorset savoury rolls, twice-baked until crisp and golden brown. Perfect for pairing with mature Cheddar, Dorset Blue Vinny cheese, or salty butter.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South West England

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 75 min
Total: 100 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

450 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
1 tsp Fine sea salt — finely ground
1 tsp caster sugar — fine white sugar
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
50 g Unsalted butter — softened and cubed
150 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
150 ml warm water — lukewarm
15 g Unsalted butter — melted, for brushing

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•Wire cooling rack
•Pastry brush

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 5 g
carbs: 34 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the strong white bread flour, salt, and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened unsalted butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3
Stir in the fast-action dried yeast until evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
4
Pour in the lukewarm milk and warm water, mixing with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.
5
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth, supple, and elastic.
6
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled.
7
Knock back (punch down) the dough and divide it into 12 equal-sized portions.
8
Roll each portion into a tight, smooth ball and arrange evenly spaced on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
9
Cover loosely and leave to prove for 30 minutes until puffy.
10
Preheat your fan oven to 200°C and bake the rolls for 15 minutes until risen and light golden brown.
11
Remove from the oven, brush lightly with melted butter, and reduce the oven temperature to 110°C fan.
12
Return the rolls to the oven for 60 minutes until thoroughly dried out, hollow-sounding, and crisp throughout.

Chef's tips

Shape the dough balls tightly to help them retain a neat, rounded dome shape while baking. Do not rush the second bake; the long, gentle drying process is essential to create the traditional brittle texture.

Ingredient substitutions

unsalted butter → traditional block lard
whole milk → semi-skimmed milk or lukewarm water

Storage

Store completely cooled biscuits in an airtight tin for up to three weeks.

Reheating

These biscuits are eaten cold, but if they soften in humid weather, crisp them in an oven at 100°C fan for 10 minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Shortening the second bake, which leaves the centre doughy instead of completely dry and crisp.
•Shaping loose balls of dough, which causes the knobs to flatten out during baking.

Serving suggestions

Serve split open and generously spread with salted farmhouse butter alongside Dorset Blue Vinny cheese.Dunk into a mug of strong builder's tea or a glass of local dry Dorset cider.Crumble over a bowl of thick vegetable soup as a rustic alternative to croutons.