Crusty Kaiser Rolls (and the Science of That Shatter-Crisp Crust)

by TheBreadNerd
Prep: 25m
Cook: 18m
baked good
Crusty Kaiser Rolls (and the Science of That Shatter-Crisp Crust) - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:16
4 1/2tspactive dry yeast
2cupwater
4tbspsugar
1/3cupcanola oil
2tspsalt
6cupall-purpose flour
1egg white
sesame seeds
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

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Instructions
  1. 1

    Wake up the yeast

    In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water (110-115 degrees F, warm enough to rouse the yeast but not so hot it kills it). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let it stand 5 minutes until foamy. That foam is your proof the colony is alive and already eating.

  1. 2

    Build the dough

    Add the oil, salt, the remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth, then stir in enough of the remaining flour (up to 6 1/2 cups total) to form a soft dough.

  2. 3

    Knead for gluten

    Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. You are lining up gluten strands into a stretchy, elastic web that will trap the CO2 the yeast gives off. The dough should feel tacky but spring back when you poke it. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to coat the top, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

  3. 4

    Shape the rolls

    Punch the dough down to knock out the big gas bubbles and redistribute the yeast for a finer crumb. Divide into 16 pieces and shape each into a tight, smooth ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

  4. 5

    Wash, seed, and cut

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons cold water and brush it over each roll. Those proteins and residual sugars brown in the heat, giving you the glossy, deep-golden shell. Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds. With scissors, snip a 1/4-inch-deep cross in the top of each roll. Those cuts are pressure-release valves that control exactly where the roll bursts as it springs in the oven, giving Kaiser rolls their signature star.

  5. 6

    Bake

    Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when you tap the bottom. Move the rolls to wire racks right away so trapped steam can escape. Cooling on a rack is what keeps the crust crisp instead of going soft and gummy from its own trapped moisture.

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Crusty Kaiser Rolls (and the Science of That Shatter-Crisp Crust)

Created by: TheBreadNerd

Prep Time: 25m
Cook Time: 18m
Servings: 16

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 cup water
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 6 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg white
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Wake up the yeastIn a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water (110-115 degrees F, warm enough to rouse the yeast but not so hot it kills it). Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let it stand 5 minutes until foamy. That foam is your proof the colony is alive and already eating.
  2. Build the doughAdd the oil, salt, the remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth, then stir in enough of the remaining flour (up to 6 1/2 cups total) to form a soft dough.
  3. Knead for glutenTurn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. You are lining up gluten strands into a stretchy, elastic web that will trap the CO2 the yeast gives off. The dough should feel tacky but spring back when you poke it. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to coat the top, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
  4. Shape the rollsPunch the dough down to knock out the big gas bubbles and redistribute the yeast for a finer crumb. Divide into 16 pieces and shape each into a tight, smooth ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
  5. Wash, seed, and cutPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons cold water and brush it over each roll. Those proteins and residual sugars brown in the heat, giving you the glossy, deep-golden shell. Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds. With scissors, snip a 1/4-inch-deep cross in the top of each roll. Those cuts are pressure-release valves that control exactly where the roll bursts as it springs in the oven, giving Kaiser rolls their signature star.
  6. BakeBake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when you tap the bottom. Move the rolls to wire racks right away so trapped steam can escape. Cooling on a rack is what keeps the crust crisp instead of going soft and gummy from its own trapped moisture.

Notes & Tips

The whole personality of a Kaiser roll lives in the crust-to-crumb contrast: shatter-crisp outside, soft and pull-apart inside. Two things get you there. First, oven spring, that last violent burst of expansion in the first few minutes before the crust sets, which is why the cross cuts matter so much (they tell the roll where to open instead of cracking randomly). Second, cooling on a rack. If you leave them on the pan, the steam has nowhere to go and softens the very crust you worked for. Want them extra crackly? Toss a few ice cubes onto the oven floor when they go in. The burst of steam keeps the crust supple long enough to expand fully, then it dries and crisps. High-protein flour makes them even chewier if you have bread flour on hand.