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Kaiser Semmel – Kaiser Rolls

The name  says it  all –  kaiser for emperor and   semmel for  rolls.   This  king  of  rolls   traces  its  origin back to 19th  century  Austria.  These  beautiful  knotted  rolls are  soft  and tasty  to be  had either plain  or   made  into a  sandwich.  The   beautiful  rosette  shaped  rolls  are  usually  topped   with  seeds , which definitely adds to the visual appeal.

Home Made Kaiser Rolls

Don’t  these   look beautiful ?    The  buns in teh pictures  are  hand  twisted   but  there are  kaiser  roll  stamps  available  to   shape  them.   I  find   a  simple knotting  technique  to  be  very effective. The   rosette  shape  has  more  artisan  feel to it.    By all means  use  the  stamp  especially if  you are  making  large  batches of  rolls ,  but  otherwise  give  the  technique  in the  video a  try ..

This is a  bread  recipe  that  uses eggs, but  if  you   have  an  aversion to eggs ,  try the  shaping  technique   with a egg free  bread   recipe, like  the  Dilkush Bread  dough  or  even  with the Ladi Pav  recipe .

Home Made Kaiser Rolls

I am  a  big  fan  of  unbleached , un-bromated  all purpose  flour,  and  that  is  what I use  in this  recipe. Any flour   with a  fair  amount   of   protein content ,  AP  Flour or bread  flour but definitely not  cake  flour,   will work  well in this  recipe.   These  rolls  have  just a  hint  of  sweetness  and  can   easily be paired  with  sweet or   savory   fillings.

For an even  decadent  version ,  slice  the  rolls  cross wise  and   shallow  fry .  Drizzle  your  favorite  syrup – strawberry / caramel / chocolate –  over  the  warm  slices . Let  it  cool  completely and  place scoops of   ice  cream  over  it.   Smash the  haves  together into a  sandwich …  freeze  for  later or  enjoy !

Now  that is  just  an  idea !

If  that is   what  you  would  rather  do then  there is  no need   to top the   bread  with the  seeds 🙂 .  The  recipes  for  home  mad e Kaiser  rolls is  an  easy one  and  definitely do  not  require a  stamp. The  technique of  shaping  the  rolls  by hand  is   an  easy one.

 

Home Made Kaiser Rolls

Kaiser Semmel – Kaiser Rolls

By Syama
Kaiser  Rolls  are  one  of  the  most  popular  sandwich  buns.  These  look pretty and  is perfect along  with  soup or  salad  as  well. 
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine German
Servings 6 Rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 3 C Unbleached All Purpose Flour (350g)
  • 1 Tsp Sugar (5g)
  • 2 1/4 Tsp Yeast ( 7g) or 1 pkt
  • 1 Tsp Fine Sea Salt (7g)
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (30g)
  • 3/4 C Water (180g)
  • 1 Egg

Topping

  • 2 Tbsp Milk
  • 1 - 2 Tsp Poppy Seeds / Sesame Seeds

Instructions
 

  • Warm the water till it reaches 110°F - just warm to touch. Bring the egg and butter to room temperature.
  • Take 1/4 C of lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the yeast bloom for 5 to 10 minutes until the mix begin to foam up on top. To this add the flour, butter and salt . Make a well in the middle of the flour and break the egg into it. Knead everything together while adding the remaining water as needed to make a soft dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough has become pliable and relaxed. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl at least 3 times larger than the volume of the dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for at least an hour or until it has doubled in volume.
  • Uncover and punch down the dough. Divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and shape the kaiser rolls. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with oil. Place the rolls on the sheet leaving at least 2" space between them. Cover with a moist kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until almost doubled.
  • While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Just before placing the rolls in the oven brush the tops with milk and sprinkle the seeds on top.
  • Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
  • Use the same day or freeze in an airtight bag.

Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.

Tried this recipe?Mention @Oventales or tag #Oventales on Instagram

The  video  below  recaps  the  methods  and  briefly  shows  how  to  shape  the  rolls .

These  rolls are    tasty  just plain.. or just  go  ahead  and  stack your  favorite   sandwich  fillings  in  there 🙂

 

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Home Made Kaiser Rolls

Recipe Rating




Alesia

Thursday 2nd of February 2017

You should take part in a contest for among the ideal blogs on the net. I will advise this web site!

Jessica

Thursday 26th of January 2017

In the recipe directions you mention butter but the amount is not listed in the ingredients. How much do I need?

Syama

Thursday 26th of January 2017

Hi Jessica, Thank you for pointing it out. This recipe uses 2 Tbsp butter. I just updated it . - Syama.