German Style Weck Rolls Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S KUMMELWECK ROLLS

Steps:

• Whisk 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons oil, 1 egg white, sugar, salt, and honey into yeast mixture; whisk until smooth. Gradually add flour to yeast mixture while mixer is running with the dough hook attached; knead until a soft, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drizzle remaining vegetable oil into the bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover the bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten dough, and press into rectangle. Cut dough into 12 pieces and form pieces into rolls. Place rolls 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Whisk 1 egg white and 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl. Use kitchen shears to cut an X at the top of each roll. Brush rolls with egg white mixture and sprinkle with caraway seeds and salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

KIMMELWECK ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Add water and yeast to bowl of standing mixture and mix to activate yeast (if needed, I use instant yeast and this step is not needed but will not hurt)
• Add sugar, honey (or malt syrup), oil and half of the flour and mix until combined.
• Add salt and the remaining flour.
• Mix on low speed until combined and then increase speed slightly and mix for 5 to 8 minutes until you can stretch the dough out into a thin sheet (windowpaning)
• Place dough in a oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm spot for 1 hour. Wet hands to handle dough if it's a bit sticky.
• I like to use the oven with light turned on OR I microwave a cup of water and place the bowl with dough in the microwave to rise.
• After 1 hour, punch down dough and let rise again for another 30 minutes.
• After the second rise, cut the dough into 6 pieces and shape into a ball.
• To shape kaiser rolls, use a kaiser stamp on top of round rolls OR if you don't have a stamp, you can roll each piece into a rope and then loosely tie the rope
• Place rolls on cornmeal dusted baking sheet and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled. If you kitchen is cold, consider placing a pot of simmering water nearby.
• Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and lightly sprinkling with cornmeal (when I skip the parchment paper, sometimes the rolls stick to the baking sheet)
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees (about 20 minutes before end of final proof)
• Before putting bread in oven, toss about 2 cups of ice on oven floor OR spray the oven very well with water and then spray the rolls with water just before loading and after 2, and 5 minutes of baking.
• Brush top of proofed rolls with egg white, sprinkle then with kosher salt and caraway seeds.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Check rolls at 10 minutes.
• Store rolls in airtight bag - they will lose their crisp but they keep well for an additional day or two. If you are storing longer, place in freezer bag and freeze the rolls. I like to slice them first before freezing.