Kummelweck Rolls -We Knead to Bake 26

This month, the assignment for the We Knead to Bake - Bread Baking Group, is a simple savoury bread.The challenge Aparna put us was to show what we make out of the rolls because making them  was a simple task by itself.
The sprinkling of sea salt and caraway seeds makes this bread roll special and different. 'Kummel means caraway seeds and 'weck'  means roll in the native language of the origin of this bread, which points to Germany. These are hard rolls, much like the crusty Kaiser roll, but sprinkled with caraway seeds and coarse sea salt. They are used to make a special sandwich called 'Beef on Weck' in Buffalo in New York. Thinly sliced and cooked rare roast beef and horseradish are sandwiched and typically served with fries and dill pickle.
 The recipe given below makes 8 burger size rolls while I made half the recipe and made 4 of them.  For the added challenge, I made a potato patties with paneer burji filling and served as a sandwich with layered mint chutney, patty, sliced cucumber and tomatoes.

Kummelweck (Kimmelweck) Rolls

(Adapted from http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/bread/rollskimelweck01.html)

Ingredients:
Makes 8 burger size rolls, can be halved to make 4

2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg white (optional) (I simply added little more water)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour (or all purpose flour + 1 tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten)
Egg wash (optional) (anything that will help the caraway seeds and salt to stick/ I brushed with little cream)
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Caraway seeds for sprinkling
Little more oil to grease the bowl, baking tray and for brushing over rolls
Water for spraying

Method:
Add to yeast the warm milk and warm water. Let it stand for five to ten minutes to become frothy.
In a larger bowl, or the bowl of a mixer, place the above yeast mixture, oil and honey and mix well. If you are using the egg white add it along.
Mix them well and add 2 1/2 cups of flour initially and mix in a dough.
(I added a little extra water to replace the egg white).
Add the flour to the dough and knead until a tacky dough that is not sticky has been achieved.
Roll the dough in a ball and place it in a oil-coated bowl. turn the dough in the oil to allow the oil to coat the surface of the dough. Cover and keep aside for an hour or more for the dough to double in volume.
Deflate the dough by punching it down, roll again in a ball and allow another rise for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in 8 portions, roll each in a ball and flatten slightly.
Place the rolled and flattened roll on a greased or parchment lined baking tray.
Lightly brush or spray with some oil. Cover the shaped dough again loosely and give it another 30 minutes to rise.
Brush the rolls with the egg wash/ cream/ or anything that will help the salt and caraway seeds not to fall off the rolls while baking.
Make a + like slit on the top using a sharp blade or scissors.
Sprinkle caraway seeds and coarse sea salt on the top surface of the rolls. Mist them with little water.
Pre heat the oven to 220 degrees C (425 degrees F).

 

Bake the rolls for five minutes, open the door and mist again with a spray of water. Take care not to keep the oven door open for long.
Bake them for another twenty minutes or so, until the rolls are brown on top and done.
Cool on wire rack. 

I halved the recipe and had to reduce the baking time to 16 minutes after the initial 5 minutes, in all 21 minutes.
Serve them as sandwiches or burgers.

I served my rolls as burgers. I made patties with potatoes and placed some paneer burji inside the potato, covering all over with potato mash.

Shallow fried the patties and used them in the burger.
I cut the kummelweck roll in half, spread a layer of mint chutney on the bottom and placed the patty over it. I placed sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on top of the patty closed it with the top of the roll.
I served this with a simple cucumber salad.

The same dough can be used to make Vienna Loaf and Salt and pepper sticks.

To make Vienna Loaf:
Follow the recipe with the below mentioned changes:
After the second rise of the dough, divide in half.
Shape each half in an oval shape with tapering ends.
After the final rise,apply the egg wash/ cream brushing and slash the top with 1/2" deep slit lenghtwise.
Leave the sprinkling of salt and caraway seeds.Bake the loaf at 200 degrees C for 5 minutes + 30 minutes as for the kummeweck rolls.


For the salt and pepper sticks:
Follow the above recipe with the following changes:
Give the dough just the first rise. No need for a second.
Divide the dough in 13 equal portions and draw out each portion in a 12" long rope of even thickness.
Place them about an inch to inch and a half apart on your baking sheet.
Allow the rise now.
Apply the egg wash or brushing and do not make slits.
Coarsely grind black pepper and have the coarse sea salt ready.
Sprinkle them on top pf the rolled out sticks.Do not use the water mist.
Bake at 220 degrees for just 15 to 20 minutes.

Now head over to this post where Aparna and other members have put up links to their respective posts and enjoy the variety of  burgers, sandwiches and other ideas with the rolls.