Source:New Complete book of Breads by B. Clayton
Makes 18 rolls, or 10 to 12 hamburger buns
Preparation time: 4 hours
Tips: Rolls make great flank steak sandwiches or hamburger buns.
Kaiser Rolls
or hamburger buns
Ingredients
Preparation
4 1/2 cups bread or unbleached flour, approximately
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot water (120F-130F)
1 teaspoon malt extract, if available
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 tablespoon shortening
rye flour, for dusting
poppy seeds
1. Prepare one baking sheet, greased or cover with parchment paper or Teflon sheet.
2. BY HAND OR MIXER (8 minutes): Into a mixing or mixer bowl measure 3 1/2 cups flour and add the dry ingredients. Stir to blend well. Pour in the hot water and malt extract. Mix for 1 minute with a wooden spoon or the mixer flat beater until a smooth but heavy batter forms. Add the egg, egg white, and shortening. Beat together until the mixture is smooth. If using the mixer, remove the flat beater and continue with the dough hook. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is a solid but soft mass that can be lifted from the bowl, or left under the dough hook.
3. KNEADING (10 minutes): turn the dough out to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough with a strong push-turn-fold motion, adding liberal sprinkles of flour if the dough is wet. In the mixer, the dough will clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball around the dough hook. If, however, the dough continues to cling to the sides, add sprinkles of flour. Knead for 10 minutes.
4. FIRST RISING (1 hour): Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to double in bulk, about 1 hour. ( If prepared with a new fast-rising yeast and at the recommended higher temperatures, reduce the rising times by about half.)
5. SECOND RISING (45 minutes): Uncover the bowl and punch down the dough with the fingers. Re-cover the bowl and allow the dough to double in volume again, about 45 minutes.
6. SHAPING (15 minutes): Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll it into an 18" long cylinder. With a sharp knife, cut 18 pieces (see note 1) from the length (at every inch on the yard stick). Shape the pieces under a cupped palm into smooth rounds, Cover and allow to relax for 5 minutes.
Flatten each roll with your hand to about 3/8" thick. Dust lightly with rye flour. Place your thumb in the center of a roll. With the forefinger of your other hand pick up a section equal to about one-fifth of the dough and fold the portion slightly over your thumb. With the side of your hand, hit the dough up against the thumb. Pick up the second section and repeat the procedure, overlapping slightly. Repeat this action a total of 5 times, but don't hit the last section, just press it into the gap made by removing the thumb. Press the last piece into place. The entire procedure may be viewed as assembling the spokes of a wheel.
Sprinkle the baking sheet liberally with poppy seeds. As each roll is shaped, place it face down on the sheet.
7. THIRD RISING (40 minutes): Cover the rolls with a length of wax or parchment paper, and leave at room temperature to rise to slightly less than double in size, about 40 minutes.
8. PREHEAT: In the meantime, prepare the oven by placing a pan under the shelf. Preheat the oven to 450F degrees 20 minutes before baking. Five minutes before the rolls are to go into the oven, pour 1 cup hot water into the pan to form steam and provide a moist environment for the rolls.
9. BAKING 450F (25 minutes): Be certain hot water is in the pan. Uncover the rolls, carefully turn them right side up, brush them with water or spray lightly with a atomizer. Place the pan on the middle shelf of the hot oven. Three minutes later lightly spray the interior of the oven- not directly on the rolls. Bake for 25 minutes, until crispy and brown all over. Midway during baking turn the sheet around so that the rolls are exposed equally to temperature variations in the oven. (If using a convection oven, place the hot water in a pan on the floor before putting in the rolls. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes).
10. FINAL STEP: Remove the rolls from the oven. If after the rolls have cooled, they are not as crisp and crusty as you like, put them back into a hot oven for 10 minutes. Do the same later for reheating the rolls. These are delicious just spread with butter.
NOTE: Makes 18 small rolls. To use as hamburger buns, shape 10 to 12 pieces per recipe.
