BBA - Kaiser Rolls

Times are tough in the Lethally Delicious kitchen. I'm off work until January 5th. I know that sounds like a good reason for a big celebration, and I don't disagree. But it also means fewer people to dump share my baked goods with. But these Kaiser rolls, the next bread in the rotation for the Slow & Steady subgroup of the Bread Bakers' Apprentice blog event, don't create a gifting dilemma. The recipe yields a few rolls suitable for making sandwiches, not enough for sharing, but perfect for the freezer.

Even though it took 2 days, this recipe wasn't that hard, and I again tried, unsuccessfully, to screw it up. I was eager to make these because of the swirly tops, and I bought a Kaiser cutter to ensure a perfectly swirly top. My advice: don't bother with the cutter. Make these by hand as Peter Reinhart does in the book. Some of my swirls didn't and some did but only in the center of the rolls. I would have liked a shinier crust, so I'd advise you to use an egg wash in lieu of spraying the rolls with water before they go in the oven. This would also make the seeds stick to the rolls better. I'd also spray the walls of the oven with water a second time for a crisper crust.

Now I need you native New Yorker Kaiser roll purists to look away for a moment.

You could substitute some garlic butter for the vegetable oil, or use fruity olive oil and herbs d'Provence, or top them with caramelized onions. I know I've finally gone mad but these things all sound good to me.

While these were good, they didn't approach these or this or even this for flavor. So I probably won't make them again unless I do some flavor variations.

Next up:  Lavash crackers (I know! I can hardly wait!)