My dad used to love Kaiser rolls, so they’re a sentimental favorite of mine. They’re sturdier than standard hamburger buns and stand up to both my brisket and pulled chicken better. After I started making these, I’ve had a really hard time using store-bought buns for much of anything. Make sure to use a light touch when flouring the work surface as it’s easy to make these get a bit dry. The dough is fairly stiff so you really shouldn’t need much flour to roll them out. A bit helps when you’re weaving the knots, otherwise it tries to stick to itself when you’re pulling the rope of dough through. If you don’t feel like weaving knots, leaving them as smooth buns works, too.
Kaiser Rolls
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1½ tsp instant yeast
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- ¾ cup lukewarm water approx 100°
Topping
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp sesame or poppy seeds, or a mix of both
Instructions
- Whisk together dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook.
- Combine egg, butter, and water, whisking to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed for 5 minutes or so, until it comes together in a smooth dough.
- Turn out onto a very lightly floured board and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic, approximately 3-5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, turning dough ball over to coat surface. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 hour.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12" rope. Follow these instructions to make into knots: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/videos/baking-skills/how-to-shape-knots
- Place knots on a parchment or silicone lined sheet tray. Cover and allow to rise again until doubled in size, approximately an hour.
- Preheat oven to 425°. Brush tops of rolls with milk and sprinkle with seeds. Bake approximately 15 minutes until well browned and rolls feel light. Cool 30 minutes before slicing and eating.
