Light and Crispy German Bread Rolls | Traditional Brötchen
These simple German bread rolls (called Brötchen) require just 4 ingredients! These are the perfect rolls with meat, cheese, or butter & jam.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1¼ cups lukewarm water (ideally between 98°F to 105°F)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
- Add the water and knead the dough for a few minutes in the bowl until it forms a shaggy bowl.
- Place the dough on a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour, Knead by hand for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, not sticky or dry. (The dough might be pretty firm and dry when you first start kneading it. Just keep kneading and after a few minutes, it will form a smooth dough.)
- Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about one hour.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into circles or ovals. Spread the top of the dough down the sides to create a smooth surface on top & tuck any edges of dough underneath. Place the dough pieces spread out on a baking sheet line with parchment paper.
- Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut a slash about ½ inch deep along the length of the top of each dough roll. Let them rest on the baking sheet while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill a baking dish or roasting pan with 2 large handfuls of ice cubes.Once the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet of dough rolls in the oven on a middle rack. Place the baking dish of ice on the bottom rack. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Kneading: If the dough feels like it’s seizing up and becoming too hard to knead, let it rest for a few minutes so the gluten can relax. Then finish kneading the dough.
- Storing: These German bread rolls taste best when they’re fresh, the same day they’re baked. You can store extra rolls in a paper bag at room temperature for a few days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 rollCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 7gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 295mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 3mg
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