Rosette/Kaiser Bread Rolls

Today I decided to make some bread rolls.  I have bought a few items from an Italian company, including a cutter with a rosette pattern, similar to a Kaiser Roll cutter.  So, having eaten Kaiser rolls for years when I was in Prague I decided to make those, albeit with my rosette cutter.  I also decided that I should make some manually, knotting the dough, so that people can see how to do that too if they watch the video.

This roll is fairly basic, as far as ingredients are concerned, with most recipes only varying slightly.  I used strong white flour, though most recipes call for plain flour/all purpose flour.  Either is fine, the strong white just has slightly more gluten.

Having made the dough it was just a question of rolling into balls and using the cutter to make the pattern.  Then with a couple of the balls rolling them into sausages and knotting them to make the kaiser roll shape.

I topped mine with sesame seeds, though they can be left plain or have any number of things, such as salt or poppy seeds added.

Ingredients:

• 500g strong white flour(plain is fine)
• 300ml water, warm but not hot
• 30g softened butter
• 20g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 7g fast action dried yeast
• beaten egg for a wash
• sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:

1. Place the water, half the sugar and the yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer(doing all by hand is fine, but harder work) and leave to activate for 5 minutes.
2. Add the butter, remaining sugar and 300g flour.
3. Using the dough hook mix the ingredients together until combined.
4. Mix the salt with the remaining flour and add most of it to the bowl.
5. Mix again on medium until the dough becomes smooth and slightly tacky.
6. Only add more flour to achieve that texture.  When the dough comes away from the bowl and is smooth it should be ready.
7. Remove the dough and form into a ball.
8. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, ensuring that the dough is turned to coat in the oil.
9. Cover and allow to prove until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
10. Remove the dough from the bowl and knock back to remove the air.
11. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
12. Roll each piece into a bowl.
13. If using a cutter, Kaiser or Rosetter, press it down on each ball, almost all the way through, but not quite.
14. Place each roll, pattern side down, on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
15. If doing manually roll each ball into a sausage of about 12 inches/25cm and tie into a loose knot, with two loose ends.  
16. Take the end that is under the knot and pull up and over, poking it into the middle of the knot.
17. Take the end that is on top of the knot and push underneath, poking it into the middle of the knot.
18. Place the manual Kaiser rolls onto the baking tray.
19. Cover with a tea towel, or plastic wrap, and allow to rise again, until doubled in size.
20. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F.
21. If using the roll cutter turn the rolls pattern side up.
22. Whether using cutter or manual, brush the rolls with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
23. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rolls are a nice golden colour.
24. Test that the rolls are done by tapping the underside and you should hear a hollow sound.
25. Place on a wire rack to cool.