Mix. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water. Use the dough hook on low speed to mix until all the water and flour are incorporated into a rough, messy dough that collects on the dough hook, about 3-4 minutes.

Knead. Increase the speed slightly and knead until the dough is smooth, soft, and a little sticky to the touch, about 4-5 minutes. It should pull cleanly from the walls of the bowl, but might stick to your fingers slightly if you pinch it. If needed, dust in additional flour while kneading, just enough to help the dough pull away from the bowl.

Rise. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly to tuck all the edges into the middle to form a ball. Lightly grease the inside of the mixer bowl, then place the dough ball inside. Cover the bowl, then let the dough rest in a warm spot (72°F) until just about doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Pre-shape. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Gently deflate the dough, then knead it back into a ball. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces (they should each weigh about 51g). On an unfloured surface, knead and tuck each portion of dough into a tight ball with a smooth top and a barely-visible pinched-together seam underneath.

Shape. With the seam of each dough ball against the counter, briefly press down on the middle and roll it back and forth once or twice with gentle yet firm pressure to shape it into a short oval log, about 3 inches long and 1½ inches wide. The dough will shrink back slightly, so I find it works best to roll to about 4 inches first and let it shrink back to the right size. Transfer the shaped rolls to a parchment-lined sheet pan in four rows of four.

Rise. Dust the tops of the rolls lightly with flour, cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap, and let them rise until puffed up and almost doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 450°F and fill a small misting spray bottle with water.

Score. Immediately before baking, spritz (or brush, if you don't have a spray bottle) the tops of each roll with water, then use a sharp knife or a lame to cut a ¼" deep slash down the center of each roll. Make sure the score mark goes end-to-end for the best results.

Bake. Bake until pale golden brown on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let cool almost completely before serving — these are best served slightly warm!