Kaiser rolls are versatile: perfect for sandwiches or as a hearty side with meat dishes.
We eat sandwiches most weekends for lunch — with kids, they’re simply the easiest option. But there’s something about eating a sandwich outdoors that makes it taste better. A simple ham-and-cheese made hours earlier, tucked into a cooler and eaten at a rest stop, somehow outshines the same sandwich at the kitchen table.
This weekend we’re going fishing with good friends, so I decided to bake rolls to make our sandwiches special. I looked through several recipes — dinner rolls weren’t sturdy enough and a loaf would be awkward to slice on the road — until I found a kaiser roll recipe that seemed ideal: sturdy, flavorful, and travel-friendly.
I used a recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour. I admire their resources and support their approach to baking; if I lived nearby I’d probably never stop learning from them. For now, I happily buy their flour at my local store and use their recipes as inspiration.
Kaiser Rolls
Ingredients:
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (rapid rise)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup water
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all ingredients. Stir until the dough forms a cohesive mass and begins to clear the sides of the bowl. If using a hand mixer, you may reach a crumbly stage; a few minutes of kneading in the bowl will bring the dough together.
Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then let it rest for 10 minutes. This rest helps the dough absorb liquid and allows the gluten to relax. Knead another 5 minutes, or until smooth and supple. The dough should be fairly stiff; adjust with small amounts of flour or water if needed. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and let it rise until noticeably puffy, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface and divide it into six equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a round ball and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. If you have a kaiser stamp, center it over a dough ball and press firmly, cutting close to the bottom but not all the way through — this creates the characteristic folds. If you don’t have a stamp, a deep cross cut with a sharp knife works well. Too shallow a cut will disappear as the roll bakes; too deep will create separate “petals.”
Place the rolls cut-side down on the baking sheet, cover with cloth, and let them rise for 45–60 minutes, until nearly doubled.
Turn the rolls right side up, brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired.
Bake in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 15–17 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
To store, reuse old bread wrappers or paper bags to keep your rolls fresh — a simple way to recycle and preserve the crust and texture.
You might also like
Light and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Potato Bread