Tips For Making Better Kaiser Buns

Have you ever had an absolutely wonderful kaiser roll and wished you could make them like that yourself? Making great kaiser buns is both an art and a science. You can start with one of many good kaiser roll recipes, but regardless of the exact recipe you choose, you will also want to follow the tips below.

1. Use bread flour.

Many kaiser roll recipes call for bread flour. Some may give you the choice of which flour you use. When you have a choice, you always want to opt for the bread flour. It is higher in protein than all-purpose flour, which means it will have an easier time forming the gluten structure that makes your kaiser rolls nice and chewy. 

2. Make sure the dough is actually doubled after rising.

Most kaiser roll recipes will have you rest the dough for a certain period of time — usually an hour. It's important to check the bread dough after this time and make sure it truly has risen. If it has not fully doubled in size, then it needs to rise longer. The amount of time given on a recipe can only be an estimate since rising time depends a lot on the temperature and humidity in your home. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster your dough will rise. In a cooler home, it will almost certainly take your dough more than an hour to double in size. Letting it rise adequately will help ensure your rolls come out fluffy and chewy.

3. Put the pinched side down.

After you shape the kaiser rolls, there will be one side of the dough ball where the dough is pinched together, plus one smoother side. Always put the pinched side down after you shape the rolls. This will hold the rolls together and help make sure they rise up, rather than out.

4. Don't under-bake the rolls.

Under-baked kaiser rolls will be overly dense and wet. Use a thermometer to make sure your rolls are fully done before taking them out of the oven. The thermometer needs to register 190 degrees F to indicate that the rolls are done cooking. 

With the tips above, you should have greater success in making your own kaiser rolls. All in all, these rolls should not be hard to make. Before long, you'll be regularly cranking out batches for your family to share.