Homemade Kaiser Rolls

If you love baking bread, then these homemade kaiser rolls need to be on your baking list. They're not at all difficult to make. Let me show you how!

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2013. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

I made these Kaiser Rolls last week and am already planning on making them again next week for my parents because they were THAT good!

It seems my mom and dad have been on a recent quest to find the type of kaiser rolls they remember from years ago.

Apparently, the ones they've purchased in the local grocery stores are not the kind they have been pining after.

The ones they've tried so far are too soft and squishy and don't have the proper crust that cracks and flakes when you bend them.

As fate would have it, kaiser rolls just happened to be on my "list of things to bake" even before I knew of their search.

Mine was to be the "frame" for some Italian beef and gravy (store-bought) sandwiches I was making for a simple weeknight meal, but that I'd wanted to add a little pizazz to.

The final result and taste of these rolls were delightfully delicious.

To my knowledge, they have everything that my parents are looking for in their kaiser rolls...a firm but not too hard interior crumb, a crust that flakes and cracks when bent, a "to the tooth" texture (not quite sure how else to describe it, but that seems to fit), and a taste that stands up to, and doesn't get lost with, even the spiciest (or simplest) of ingredients.

What follows, is the recipe I used (adapted ever so slightly) and the cookbook I found in Nick Malgieri's BREAD.

HOMEMADE KAISER ROLLS     {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Makes 8 rolls

1 cup room temperature water (about 75 degrees)
3 teaspoons active instant yeast
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon honey
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ⅔ cup flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
spray bottle filled with water

-In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), whisk the water and yeast together; wait one minute, and then whisk again.
-Whisk in the sugar, honey, egg yolks, and olive oil.
-Using the dough hook (or a large wooden spoon) work in the flour on the lowest speed until well combined.
-Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
-Start mixing again on low speed and sprinkle in the salt.
-Increase the speed to medium (or knead by hand) until the dough is smooth and elastic.
-Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it so the top is oiled.
-Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place (I use a pre-warmed low-temperature oven that has been turned off), until doubled in bulk (approximately 1 hour).
-Once risen, without deflating the dough too much, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
-Work each piece of dough into a round mound by gently, yet firmly, rolling it on the floured surface. (Cup your hand over the dough and roll the dough in a circular motion)
-Place the rolls onto two parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space for them to rise.
-Place the rolls into a warm draft-free place for their second rise and they're once again doubled in bulk (approximately 1 hour).
-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
-Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the tops of each roll to dampen (but not saturate) the dough.
-Place the rolls in the preheated 425-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes and then remove.
-Spray the rolls once again with the water.
-Decrease the oven temperature to 400 degrees and finish baking the rolls until nicely golden, about 20-25 minutes (rotating the sheets halfway through the baking process) or until the rolls sound hollow when tapped.
-Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a baking rack.

I think these homemade kaiser rolls are the perfect bun for slathering with butter and frying in a skillet (just what my mom and dad are looking to do).

It's a food memory from their past that I'm hoping I can help recreate for them in the present.  We shall see...but if not, they're still darned good kaiser rolls!!!

Please don't be intimidated by the thought of making your own kaiser rolls. The process and the ingredient list are simple and it only takes a little commitment of time in order for the dough to rise and bake.

Anyone can do it and the results will win you raves at the dinner table!