Kaiser Rolls

Mike and I had been married a couple of years when we moved to the Chicago suburbs. This is where I had my first taste of a Kaiser roll. I fell in love with these hard rolls and have loved them ever since. I love crusty chewy rolls; I think they’re perfect for most sandwiches.

When I was looking for a roll recipe to serve my grilled chicken breast from a couple of posts ago I ran across a recipe for these lovely rolls and thought that they would be perfect. The rolls were not quite as crusty and chewy as I thought that they would be. They were just a little bit of a softer roll than the Kaiser rolls that I have purchased, but even though they made a terrific sandwich.

Kaiser Rolls (Source: adapted from Taste of Home)
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups warms water (110 to 115 degrees F) divided
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cold water
Poppy and/or sesame seeds
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Grease the bottom of the bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down and divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. Flatten a little with palm of your hand. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat egg white and cold water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or with sesame seeds. With a scissors, cut a 1/4 inch deep cross on tops of rolls.
4. Bake at 400 degree F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.