The Kaiser Roll is an old recipe originating in Austria in the 18th century. Try telling that to a New Yorker, though. Order a breakfast sandwich at a NY deli and you’ll get, no questions asked, a crusty white roll with an airy, soft inside. Stuff with gooey melted cheese, a runny hot fried egg, and bacon for a true NYC breakfast sandwich experience. A different variation of the Kaiser roll originates from other side of the state, Buffalo, NY. The kimmelweck is a Kaiser roll topped with massive amounts of pretzel salt and caraway seeds. The Buffalo variation is the base for the insanely good Beef on Weck sandwich- rare roast beef dipped in warm au jus, topped with horseradish, and served in a warm kimmelweck roll.

Kaiser Rolls

Kaiser rolls are easy to make and are great for all kinds of sandwiches- NY-style egg sandwiches, lunch meat sandwiches, or hamburgers. They are also great eaten warm all by themselves with a little butter. Poppy seeds and sesame seeds are the most popular topping, but you can use whatever you like. Try using large salt crystals and caraway seeds to make kimmelweck rolls for the iconic Beef on Weck sandwich.

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Course: Bread, Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: American, American Mid-Atlantic, Austrian, German, New York, North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Proofing: 2

Total Time: 2 35

Servings: Rolls

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Stand Mixer with dough hook attachment
Large bowl
Baking pan lined with parchment paper, wire rack
Kaiser roll press
Spray bottle with water

Ingredients

3½ cup Unbleached bread flour (plus a little for dusting)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp Sugar
1½ tsp Instant yeast
1 tbsp Malt powder or syrup (or honey)
1 large Egg
1 large Egg, white only
1¼ cup Lukewarm water
1 tbsp Shortening, vegetable oil, or softened butter
1 large Egg
2 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened
4 tbsp Poppy or sesame seeds (pretzel salt and caraway seeds for Kimmelweck rolls)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Mixing the Dough – Turn on lights in oven. Warm water and malt/oil/butter in the microwave. Using a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine the dry ingredients in the bowl. Add the water-malt mixture and eggs. Knead at medium-low speed for 8 minutes. A smooth, supple dough will form. Add a tbsp water at a time if it seems too dry and not coming together or add 1 tbsp of flour at a time if it seems too wet.
Proofing – Transfer to a large buttered bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and place it in the warmed oven until doubled in size, around 1 hour.
Gently deflate the dough, cover, and let rise for another hour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead with hands for a minute-or-two. Divide into equal pieces and then roll each into a ball. Place balls on a parchment-lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. Center a kaiser stamp over each ball and press down hard, cutting nearly to the bottom (but not all the way through). Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let them rise for 1 hour on the counter.
Cooking – Preheat oven to 450°F (230°F) before second proofing is complete. Spray rolls with water and in the ½oven when door opened to put rolls in. Bake until the rolls turn golden brown and are light to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer cooked rolls to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Kaiser rolls can be stored in a sealed plastic bag for a few days and frozen indefinitely.
Slits on top of the rolls can be made without a Kaiser stamp but won’t look as authentic. Make a pinwheel by making 4 curved cuts 1/2-inch into the top of the dough with a sharp knife or razor blade,