How to make German/Austrian Kaiser Rolls
Classic stamped Austrian/German kaiser rolls topped with poppy or sesame seeds.
⏱️ Prep: 240 min🍳 Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
| 3 cups | 720 ml | King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour |
| 1 1/2 tsp | 7.5 ml | instant yeast |
| 1 1/2 tsp | 7.5 ml | sugar |
| 1 1/4 tsp | 6.3 ml | salt |
| 1 pc | large egg, room temperature | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | unsalted butter, softened |
| 3/4 cup | 180 ml | lukewarm water |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | milk (topping) |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | poppy or sesame seeds (topping) |
Instructions
Prep Time 4 hrs. Cook Time 15 mins. Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins. Course: Bread. Cuisine: Austrian, German. Keyword: Bread, Rolls. Servings: 6 rolls.
Instructions:
- Mix, then knead together all of the dough ingredients — by hand, stand mixer, or in the bucket of a bread machine programmed for the dough cycle — to make a smooth, supple dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise until noticeably puffy, about 1 hour.
- Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Shape the pieces into round balls, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Center your kaiser stamp over one ball of dough. Press down firmly, cutting nearly to the bottom but not all the way through. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
- Place the rolls cut-side down (this helps them retain their shape) onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the rolls, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they've almost doubled in volume. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Turn the rolls cut-side up. Dip their tops in milk, and coat with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired. (I brushed the milk on.)
- Bake the rolls for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're golden brown and feel light to the touch. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
- Serve rolls warm, or at room temperature. Store leftover rolls, well wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage.
Notes: If you don't cut the unbaked rolls deeply enough, the shape disappears as they bake; if you cut too deeply (all the way through), the rolls will form "petals" as they rise and look like a daisy, not a kaiser roll. Note that the simplest way to give these rolls their traditional shape is with a kaiser roll stamp. If you don't have a stamp, check out our blog post on how to shape kaiser rolls.