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Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge: Kaiser Rolls

January 14, 2010 by Nicole 38 Comments

Roast Pork Sandwich on Kaiser Roll

We’re back to the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge! Today I’m sharing my experience with the 16th bread in the challenge:  Kaiser Rolls.  I enjoyed these rolls so much I’ve made them twice already!  Like many of the breads in the book, these rolls do take two days to make, but they aren’t difficult and I found that they were both easy and a lot of fun to shape.

Kaiser rolls, also called New York hard rolls or Vienna rolls, are known for the distinctive star pattern on the top of the roll.  The traditional method for achieving the classic kaiser roll shape requires a series of overlapping folds that intimidates me quite a bit. Luckily, the book offers a couple of other options for creating beautiful kaiser rolls.

The first of the easier shaping options is to use a special kaiser cutting tool that stamps a star pattern right into the top of the shaped rolls before they are proofed.  While this method appears to be the easiest, it requires the purchase of the specialized tool and quite frankly seems a bit boring.  The other option is to make a knotted roll.  The knot method appeals to me because it looks easier than the folding method, but is more hands-on than the stamping method.

Most commercial bakeries make these rolls using the faster direct-dough method, but Mr. Reinhart’s version uses a pre-ferment to improve the flavor, texture, and color.  The pâte fermentée, or old dough, is mixed up on day one and allowed to ferment slowly and develop flavor in the refrigerator overnight (or longer).

Pate Fermentee for Kaiser Rolls

The following morning, or whenever you are ready to make the rolls, the old dough is taken from the fridge, chopped into pieces, and mixed into the new dough.

Kaiser Roll Ingredients

The dough ingredients should be quite familiar at this point in the challenge:  bread flour, salt, diastatic malt powder (or barley malt syrup), instant yeast, egg, oil, and water.

Kaiser Roll Ingredients Mixed

The ingredients can be stirred together by hand (I like to use a wooden spoon or dough whisk), or with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.  They should be mixed until the ingredients form a ball and there is no loose flour in the bottom of the bowl – a bit of extra water can be added if needed.

Kaiser Roll Dough Ready for Kneading

As I decided to knead the dough in the stand mixer, I switched to the dough hook once all the ingredients were well mixed.  I might have accidentally added a bit too much water at the beginning because my dough was fairly wet and sticky, but I never mind starting with a sticky dough.  It’s easier to knead extra flour into a dough if it’s too wet than to add extra water if the dough is too stiff.

Windowpane Test

I kneaded the dough for about 7 minutes, adding small amounts of flour until the dough seemed right – soft and supple, tacky but not sticky.  I checked the gluten development using the windowpane test, and it looked great.

Kneaded Kaiser Roll Dough

I placed the kneaded ball of dough into an oiled bowl, turning it once to coat both sides with oil in order to prevent the dough from drying out during the bulk fermentation stage.

Checking Temperature of Kaiser Roll Dough

According to the book, the dough temperature after kneading should be between 77 and 81 degrees F.  It was close, but a little on the cool side.  My house was also fairly cool, so I knew there was a possibility that the two hour fermentation time might need to be extended a bit if the dough hadn’t doubled in that time.

Kaiser Roll Dough Doubled

However, the dough appeared to have doubled after two hours, so I continued to the dividing and shaping phase.

Dividing the Kaiser Roll Dough

The dough can be divided into 6 pieces for larger rolls, or 9 pieces for smaller rolls.  I decided to divide it into 8 pieces – it just seemed easier to divide the pieces into an even number.  I used my scale to make sure they were all close to the same weight so the rolls would be uniform in size.

Eight Kaiser Rolls Ready for Shaping

As the dough was divided and measured, I pre-shaped the pieces into rounds and let them rest for ten minutes.  The resting period is important because it lets the gluten relax, allowing for easier stretching and shaping.

Roll Dough Into a Rope

Next it was time to shape the rolls into knots.  Using my hands, I rolled a ball of dough into a rope.

Tie Dough in a Knot

I tied the rope into a simple knot, leaving a bit of length at each end.  As you can see, the rope shrunk as I tied the knot.  Luckily, the dough is elastic and it was easy enough to stretch it and complete the shaping.  To finish the knot, I pulled the right end of the rope up and over, and tucked it into the center.  Next, I took the left end of the rope and pulled it down and under, pushing it through the bottom of the knot and up into the center.

Tuck Ends Into the Middle of the Knot

It’s hard to show the process using photos, but this is what a knotted kaiser roll will look like.  The little nub in the center is from the left strand that was wrapped under and pushed up through the center of the knot.  Some of mine ended up with the little nub in the center, some didn’t.  The process was simple to learn using the photos and instructions in the book, and once I completed the first one, I breezed through the rest without any problems.

Knotted Kaiser Rolls

The shaped rolls were placed on a baking sheet, covered with plastic and allowed to proof at room temperature for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Kaiser Rolls after Proofing

They were supposed to double in size, but I’m not sure if mine quite made it.  I was tired of waiting and my oven was pre-heated and ready to go, so I decided to bake them anyway.

Seeded Kaiser Rolls

Right before placing the tray in the oven, I sprayed the rolls lightly with water and sprinkled seeds on top.  The first time I made the rolls, I used only poppy seeds, but this time I topped some with poppy seeds, some with sesame seeds, and a few with both.

Kaiser Rolls

The rolls were baked for about 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reached 200 degrees.  The crusts were thin and crisp, and the insides were soft – perfect for a sandwich roll!

Pulled Pork Sandwich on Homemade Kaiser Roll

We used the kaiser rolls for these delicious pulled pork sandwiches made by my friend Amanda.  If you’d like the recipe, head over to What We’re Eating – you won’t be disappointed!

Are you ready to give homemade Kaiser Rolls a try?  The recipe can be found on page 175 of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. The next bread in the challenge is Lavash Crackers…something a little different!

Want to Join The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge?

There are several ways for you to join in the fun!  First of all, you need a copy of Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Read the first section of the book carefully, as this will prepare you for the bread recipes in the second section of the book.  Then just jump in and bake some Anadama Bread, which is the first bread formula in the book.  You may also visit The BBA Challenge Page for more details on how to participate in the group.

If you haven’t already, you might want to bookmark the BBA Challenge Page.  From there you can see which breads are coming up soon, find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit and/or add yourself to our World Map, see the BBA Challenge Blogroll, and check out the continually updated slideshow of BBA Bread photos from our ever-expanding group of bakers!

Kaiser Rolls from other BBA Members:

  • Kaiser Rolls from Two Skinny Jenkins
  • Kaiser Rolls from Italian Food Forever
  • Kaiser Rolls from The Other Side of Fifty
  • Kaiser Rolls from My Hawaiian Home
  • Kaiser Rolls from I Can Do That
  • Kaiser Rolls from Bewitching Kitchen
  • Kaiser Rolls from The Yumarama Artisan Bread Blog
  • Kaiser Rolls from Something Shiny
  • Kaiser Rolls from Texas Farmer’s Hot Stove
  • Kaiser Rolls from 3Sheik
  • Kaiser Rolls from Salt and Serenity
  • Kaiser Rolls from Butter ‘n Thyme
  • Kaiser Rolls from Goth Panda
  • Kaiser Rolls from Round The Table
  • Kaiser Rolls from Gourmet Hotdish and Other Culinary Disasters

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, BBA Challenge

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy - Panini Happy says

    January 15, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Oh my goodness. I was going to say that these look so professional, but HELLO...you essentially *are* a professional baker at this point! Stunning.
    Reply
  2. Di says

    January 18, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    Nice! These are next up on my list, and I'm looking forward to them. Can't go wrong with a good sandwich roll. =)
    Reply
  3. Nancy (n.o.e.) says

    January 20, 2010 at 10:04 am

    Your rolls look wonderful. This is the next bread up for those in the Slow&Steady subgroup. I have a roll stamp but I love making knots, so I might experiment both ways. Thanks for your leadership - and fab job on this formula.
    Reply
  4. Charles says

    January 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    That is really really impressive!
    Reply
  5. Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) says

    January 24, 2010 at 3:35 am

    Wow... those rolls look delicious! I don't bake bread, and usually just pass through these posts, but these looked so good, I had to stop and comment!
    Reply
  6. Trina says

    January 28, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    Nice work! Those are just beautiful.
    Reply
  7. Dan says

    October 22, 2010 at 10:31 am

    Nice recipe for Kaiser rolls, especially the step-by-step photos to show how things should look in process. One of the photos shows a snazzy little thermometer [CDN brand?] being used to take temperature of the dough. Where can I buy one of those? I've looked for such a device in various catalogs, but none showed the model seen in your photos. Many thanks for your assistance.
    Reply
  8. Angel Chodie says

    December 13, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    That's very cool. I need to work on mine...
    Reply
  9. Carolyn G says

    July 26, 2011 at 10:09 am

    Hi I just ordered your book with the hopes I can replicate the kaiser rolls I used to enjoy when lived in NY. One question, can you freeze the dough for later use? Would that affect the quality of the rolls? Thank You
    Reply
  10. Viola Stuteville says

    October 14, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    You really make it appear so easy along with your presentation but I to find this topic to be really one thing which I feel I'd never understand. It seems too complex and extremely huge for me. I'm looking ahead on your subsequent put up, I will try to get the hold of it!
    Reply
  11. thepilatesbiz.com says

    February 8, 2012 at 7:25 am

    Lots of people used to tell me to check out my girlfriends mothers to see the future and not lock in solely based on current appearance and characteristics:-)
    Reply
  12. Gail says

    January 10, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    Can someone help me. I made these rolls today and I had a problem which seems to happen anytime I make any type of rolls. During the second rise, the rolls always spread out but don't seem to rise up, so that they get fluffy and a thinner crust. What am I doing wrong? I never have this problem with breads.
    Reply
  13. Heather says

    March 11, 2015 at 7:10 am

    I love these posts! I just bought the BBA and it is so nice to have an extra resource for so many of the recipes...seeing pictures in particular of the real life process is a huge help. I made the French bread recently, and while I have a few things I want to do differently, it worked really well. My Italian boyfriend keeps saying it's the best bread he's ever eaten. And we have some great Italian bakeries down the street. And I was so happy that my bread finally had holes! Normally my loaves taste good, but are quite dense - more like sandwich bread. I kept saying to him, "my bread has holes!" Not huge ones and there is room for improvement, but it was very exciting. I'm trying it again - along with these rolls - this weekend.
    Reply
  14. Heather says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:13 am

    Kaiser roll success this weekend! They are so tasty, look amazing and make awesome sandwiches. No more sad sandwich bread for me ;) The only annoying part was rolling out the dough. But I'll definitely make another batch.
    Reply
  15. Theresa says

    February 9, 2018 at 4:38 am

    Yummy! Those are just awesome!
    Reply
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