Peter Reinhart’s Kaiser Rolls with Pâte Fermentée

© 2022 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2022 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

The distinguishing characteristics of a Kaiser roll / bun (In German, it's known as a Kaisersemmel, Kaiserbrötchen or Sternsemmel) is the star pattern on the top, a thin, slightly crisp crust and a soft, dense, and chewy crumb. They are invented in Vienna, and thought to have been named to honor Emperor Franz Joseph. In the 18th century, the price and weight of the bread roll were regulated by law. In 1789, the bakers' association therefore sent a delegation to Emperor Joseph II to ask for free pricing for the roll. The emperor was so impressed with the bakers' craftsmanship that he approved the removal of the roll from the statutes and the roll was therefore called the emperor's roll / Kaisersemmel.
They are excellent for all kinds of savory and sweet breakfast toppings but also a great base for any sandwich variations. The traditional method for sharing a kaiser roll requires a series of overlappign folds, like making a paper flower. I am using Peter Reinhart’s simpler knotted roll design showed on The Bread Baker's Apprentice page 82. If you want them to be perfect, use a kaiser roll stamp or use an apple cutter to make the roll more like a rosetta.
Pâte Fermentée is the French word for ‘old dough’, a type of preferment that can either be freshly prepared or a piece of "old" bread dough separated from the last dough after bulk fermentation. It is made up of flour, water, salt and commercial baker’s yeast. It is the only yeasted pre-ferment that contains salt. It gives a complex flavour to the bread, it enhances crust colour and makes the gluten network stronger, making the resulting rolls significantly better than their commerical counterparts.

 

Pâte Fermentée (page 105)	Main Dough (page 175)
2 g Fresh yeast 90 ml Water, at room-temperature 135 g Organic white bread flour (or all purpose flour) 2 g Sea salt	All of the pâte fermentée 280 g Organic white bread flour (or all purpose flour) 5 g Sea salt 1-2 tsp Barley malt syrup 5 g Fresh yeast 1 Small egg 1 tbsp Olive oil 180 ml Water at room-temperature Poppy seeds for the topping, optional

Easy Knotted Roll Design	Traditional Overlapping-fold Technique

1. Dissolve the yeast in water and then mix with the salt and flour in a mixer for 4-5 minutes on slow until it forms a firm ball. Place the dough ball in a bowl and cover with a plastic film. Allow to rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours and then in the refrigerator overnight or up to 3 days.
2. Take your starter out of the fridge and cut it into a dozen small pieces. Put the pieces in a bowl and let them come back to room temperature, which takes about 30-60 minutes.
3. Place all the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of your mixer. Knead all ingredients with a dough hook on slow for 5 minutes and on fast for 4-5 minutes to a smooth dough. It should pass the windowpane test and be soft but not too sticky.
4. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with a bit of olive oil and return the dough ball in it. Let the dough ferment at room temperature until it doubles in size, 60-90 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 9 even portions. Roll each dough into 16-inch / 40-cm long. To form a knotted bun, take the left end and put it over the right end forming a loop. Then loop the right end through the center. Repeat with the left end but in the reverse direction. Now the both ends should be in the middle to fill the hole. Place the knotted bun upside down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat with the remaining dough portions. Alternatively, try the traditional overlapping-fold technique.
6. Cover with a plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, then flip them so the top of the roll is up and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes until the buns are double their original size.
7. Meanwhile preheat the oven with a tray at the bottom of the oven to 240C/460F.
8. Spritz the surface of the buns with water and place it in the middle of hot oven. Pour a cup of water into the tray at the bottom of your oven. Lower the temperature to 230C/450F and bake for 25-30 minutes until the buns are golden brown. Remove the rolls from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

© 2022 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2022 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2022 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com