Classic German rolls recipe (Brötchen)
These authentic German bread rolls, called Brötchen, are a bakery staple part of an authentic German breakfast and for eating Bratwurst on the go! The crusty German rolls are also super versatile and popular at German fast food trucks called Imbissbuden. You're almost always guaranteed to get one when ordering and eating Bratwurst, Currywurst, Frikadellen, and more.If yeast scares you, here is a free yeast tips sheet you can download here that's normally found inside my German pastry baking online course. For more recipes like this, get my cookbook 'German Home Kitchen' !
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 210kcal
Equipment
- 1 Pastry Brush For brushing water onto the rolls before baking and again 10 minutes into baking.
- 1 spray bottle As an alternative for brushing on water, you could instead spray it on.
- 1 baking lâme To score (cut into) your rolls before baking. You could also use a small, extra sharp knife.
Ingredients
Pre-Dough
- 130 grams all-purpose wheat flour
- 90 grams water
- 1 gram active dry yeast
- 3 grams salt
Main Dough
- 1 pre-dough
- 305 grams all-purpose wheat flour
- 70 grams water 80 degrees C/ 175 degrees F
- 100 grams milk whole milk, cold
- 3 grams active dry yeast
- 6 grams salt
- 6 grams granualted sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients to the pre-dough (also called a poolish) )and allow to rest in an airtight bowl in your fridge for 48 to 72 hours. The volume should have at least doubled and the dough should be nice and bubbly.130 grams all-purpose wheat flour, 90 grams water, 1 gram active dry yeast, 3 grams salt
- Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast and allow to get bubbly, which should take about 5 minutes. If it does not get bubbly, consult this yeast tips sheet that you can download here for free and that is part of my German pastry online baking class.70 grams water, 6 grams granualted sugar, 3 grams active dry yeast
- Add all other ingredients and predough and knead on the lowest setting for 5 minutes. Then increase to the second setting for another 8 minutes.305 grams all-purpose wheat flour, 100 grams milk, 6 grams salt, 1 pre-dough
- Cover the bowl and let rise for one hour, folding the dough on a floured work surface 30 minutes in.
- Knead the dough for a couple of minutes and shape 8 dough balls of about 90 grams (3.14 ounces) each. Place seam side down on a baker's linen or a piece of parchment paper and cover with the linen or a clean towel. Allow to rest for another 45 minutes. At this time, preheat your oven to 230 degrees Celsius or 445 degrees Fahrenheit (place an oven-safe bowl full of hot water on the bottom rack while preheating to create steam).
- Spray or brush on hot water, then cut straight down about a half inch into each roll.Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. At this point, open the oven door wide to release steam. Then continue baking for 5 more minutes.Now remove the hot water AND the rolls, brush on more hot water, and return to the oven to finish baking for the last 5 minutes or until golden in color. Brushing on the water towards the end of baking helps to give the rolls a shiny finish just like from the bakery.Your rolls will bake for 20 minutes in total.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 or more minutes before eating. Guten Appetit!
Notes
Freezing Tips
Because it's always nice to have some Brötchen in the freezer for when you would like to have a spontaneous Sunday morning German breakfast, here some tips for freezing Brötchen. I recommend doubling the batch, then baking per the usual directions. It's better to cut the baking time by a couple of minutes to make sure they don't get too dark when you're freezing and reheating them. After baking, allow to cool completely. Then store in a freezer safe storage back for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the desired number of Brötchen from the freezer bag. Get them just barely wet by letting water run over the rolls. Place on a baking sheet, then bake for about 8 minutes or until the outside feels crunchy again.Yeast tips
For tips on working with yeast, download this free yeast tips guide.Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 444mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3mg