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.

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 .

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.

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

Cook Time 20

Total Time 2 30

Course Bread

Cuisine German

Servings 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.

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