Making Bakery-Quality Whole Wheat Kaiser Rolls
When you buy a whole wheat Kaiser roll at a bakery, it is generally soft and tender with a distinct, nutty, whole wheat flavor. Achieving this texture and balanced flavor at home is not that easy. However, it can be done. Follow this recipe, and you'll have better luck creating whole wheat Kaiser rolls that taste like they are from a top-notch bakery.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon active, dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 cups bread flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- sesame or poppy seeds, optional
Directions:
Start by combining whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast, and warm water. Mix well. This should form a very loose, batter-like dough. Place this dough in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for 12–18 hours. This preparation is called a poolish. Allowing it to rest and ferment in the fridge for about half a day will help break down some of the starches in the whole wheat flour, leading to a softer texture in your final rolls.
Once 12–18 hours have passed, remove the poolish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then, add the bread flour, sugar, oil, and salt to the bowl. Mix well; a stiff dough will form. Turn this dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it for 5 minutes.
Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, which should take about 90 minutes.
Punch the dough down, and divide it into 12 equal portions. If you have a kitchen scale, you can weigh each portion to ensure they are even. Shape each portion of dough into a roll, and line the rolls up on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover them lightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Once the rolls have risen, brush them with the beaten egg, and sprinkle them with seeds, if desired.
Bake your rolls at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing and serving.
These whole wheat Kaiser rolls are great with butter or when used as sandwich rolls.
Visit a local bakery to learn more about Kaiser rolls.
After struggling for months to create pastries that tasted just as wonderful as they looked, I began thinking of ways to hone my skills. It occurred to me that I really needed to focus my efforts on baking like the pros, so I started focusing on getting things done. I worked with a friend of mine to find a business that offered baking classes, and within a few weeks, we were enrolled in a class that I felt great about. They went through and helped me to streamline my processes, and within days, my baking improved. Read more about baking on this website.