Kaiser Rolls

I post this recipe (I don't even remember where I found it because I've been using it for a few years now) because sometime in the next month I'm going to post my family's (yes, even the picky little minions') favorite dinner sandwich/wrap. 

The recipe uses Kaiser rolls and I hate to pay for bread from the bakery because it costs too much. And I have to use it within a few days - but I do my major shopping every other week - so it complicates my menu planning too.

Easier just to make it myself.

The over all idea: 

recipe below

Start with the dry minus a cup or two of flour

Add in the wet (water and oil)

You may have to help it out a little at some point in the process

 When it's mixed really well, you add in the rest of the flour and let it go

for a few minutes

until it's coming off the edges of the bowl (add that last bit of flour bit by bit until it's mixed in rather than dumping it all in at once)

If your thumb sticks and tries to take some dough with it and the bottom is still REALLY stuck - you need more flour and time...keep going

You're good to go when your thumb comes off clean.

I know the kitchenaid is supposed to be the magical tool of the day that does all the work for you, but I like to finish making it nice and smooth by kneading just a few turns myself.

Stick it back in the bowl to rise. (nope, I didn't bother to grease that bowl...sometimes I do)

 Cover it - it'll rise faster

About an hour later:

Punch it down

Scoop it out

and cut it up (16 is the final count - start with 4ths)

Then each 1/4 of the dough into 4 pieces:

16 total...shape them next

A trick I saw someone do for small rolls is to stuff it through a 'hole' created by your thumb and first finger and use those fingers to pinch the ball 'shut' at the bottom after all the dough has been stuffed through.

(Or you can just roll it - I like little seamless balls)

another rising

But first, use a sharp knife (or some other blade/flat thing) to make little kaiser roll shaped designs pressed into the top - this is optional, but the ones in the bakery look like this.

rise faster covered...

When they're done, brush with egg (or egg white if you just want it glossy and not brown) and sprinkle with poppy seeds (also optional, but they'll match the sandwich we're going to make next week if you do this) :)

And bake - they back up pretty fast

Kaiser Rolls            Yield: 16 rolls.

4 ½ tsp active dry yeast

2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)

¼ c  sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons salt

6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg white (or whole egg if you want it brown - this is what I usually do - I don't like to save/toss the other half of the egg)

2 teaspoons cold water

Poppy and/or sesame seeds

Mix 5 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast (in kitchenaid). Slowly add, water and oil. Mix until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. With scissors, cut a 1/4-in.-deep cross on tops of rolls. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Beat egg white and cold water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds.

Bake at 500° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 225 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

I think I may have edited that time - I like to bake my breads faster because I like the speed for one, and the texture it produces, but I think it was originally 350 or 400 for about 15-20 minutes.

Just FYI in case you'd prefer that temp for other stuff going on in your oven that day. :)

Aren't they pretty? And they are soooo good - 

I love  a sandwich recipe put on a freshly baked at home bread - it makes the whole thing better! :)