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Homemade Kaiser Rolls

Make your own homemade Kaiser Rolls! A crusty roll perfect for overstuffed sandwiches or dipping into soup or butter. Includes multiple ways to shape the rolls to achieve the star/crown design.

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - rolls after baking with poppy seeds

Kaiser Rolls (also known as Emperor Rolls or Vienna Rolls) have multiple versions of the recipe on the interwebs.

Originally they were apparently made with malt, and I don’t know about you but malt is not an ingredient I have in my kitchen. So I went with a version that uses whipped egg whites.

Besides the egg whites, the main difference about these rolls is the shape. It is supposed to resemble a five-point crown, and I’ve included 3 different ways to achieve this!

But first, prepping the yeast. This is the trickiest part of any bread recipe, and especially for one as fluffy as a kaiser roll. The good news is you will know early on if your yeast is working properly!

Proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar should result in a bubbly mixture after about 5 minutes. After adding a bit of the flour and letting it stand for another 5-10 minutes, the air pockets should be very apparent.

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - prepping the yeast

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - prepping the yeast

After you know your yeast is working, you’ll mix in the whipped egg whites and the rest of the flour and knead the dough until smooth.

I prefer to do this by hand, but you can also use a stand mixer with a dough attachment.

Then cover in an oiled bowl and let rise for about an hour or until doubled.

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - before first rise

Now THAT is a good rise!

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - dough after first rise

Punch it down…

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - dough after first rise and punched down

And separate into 9 balls.

Now, for the shaping methods.

Shaping Option #1

Form the ball of dough into a flat circle, and fold in the edges at five points (think like a star) like so:

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 1, part 1 Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 1, part 2 Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 1, part 3 Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 1, part 4 Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 1, part 5

Shaping Option #2:

Roll the ball of dough into a log, about 7 inches long. Tie into a knot.

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 2, part 1

Tuck the piece of dough sticking out on the right underneath the roll.
Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 2, part 2

And pull the piece of dough sticking out on the left over top the roll, tucking in to the center.Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - shaping method option 2, part 3

This method is my favorite but during the second rise the pieces can pop out a bit if they aren’t as secure:Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - roll before baking with poppy seeds

But it all tastes the same in the end.

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - roll after baking with poppy seeds

Shaping Option #3

If you’re somebody who likes to have a kitchen gadget for every occasion, there is one specifically for this recipe! A kaiser roll stamp (Amazon affiliate link) is a third option to achieve the design.

 

Which option will you use?

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - rolls after baking with poppy seeds horizontal

 

Yield: 9 rolls

Homemade Kaiser Rolls

Homemade Kaiser Rolls Recipe - rolls after baking with poppy seeds horizontal

Make your own homemade Kaiser Rolls! A crusty roll perfect for overstuffed sandwiches or dipping into soup or butter. Includes multiple ways to shape the rolls to achieve the star/crown design.

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup very warm water (110-115°F)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (more as needed), divided
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • poppy seeds, for topping

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly.
  2. Add butter, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour and stir to combine. Let stand another 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
  3. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until slightly stiff. Stir into the flour mixture and gradually add in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. 
  4. Knead on a lightly floured surface (or using a stand mixer) for 5-10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until smooth.
  5. Lightly oil the bowl with the olive oil and place dough back in bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
  6. Divide dough into 9 balls.

To shape the dough:

  1. Option 1: Form each ball of dough into a flat circle, and fold in the edges at five points (think like a star). (See post for pictures.)
  2. Option 2: Roll each ball of dough into a log, about 7 inches long. Tie into a knot. Tuck the piece of dough on the right underneath the roll. And pull the piece of dough sticking out on the left over top the roll, tucking in to the center. (See post for pictures.)
  3. Option 3: Use a kaiser roll stamp.

After shaping:

  1. Let rise for another 30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Spritz dough with water or olive oil and top with poppy seeds.
  3. Bake at 425°F. for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1 roll

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 260mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is calculated automatically by an online tool at Nutritionix. It is not always accurate. Please use your own tools to check if you rely on this information.

Make your own homemade Kaiser Rolls! A crusty roll perfect for overstuffed sandwiches or dipping into soup or butter. Includes multiple ways to shape the rolls to achieve the star/crown design.

 

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