Plain flour, milk, yeast, and oil or lard come together to make a delicate leavened dough, from which we bake about 10 fluffy homemade rolls. They stay soft and moist inside, while the surface develops a golden crust.
This simple recipe can also be used for making baguettes or kaiser rolls—just shape the dough as you prefer. The finished pastry is perfect for breakfast, with soup, or as a base for homemade burgers. If you want a crunchier crust, place a small pot of water in the oven during baking.
What You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 500 g plain flour,
- 1/2 cube of yeast, about 21 g,
- 1 teaspoon sugar,
- 1 teaspoon salt,
- 300 ml milk,
- 60 g oil or lard.
For finishing:
- beaten egg,
- poppy seeds, sesame, caraway, or coarse salt to taste.
The original recipe doesn’t specify the exact amount of egg or toppings, so adjust them for about 10 pieces of pastry.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the starter: Warm the milk until it’s lukewarm. Crumble in the yeast, add a teaspoon of sugar, and stir gently. Let the mixture sit for 5–10 minutes until the starter becomes frothy.
2. Making the dough: In a large bowl, combine the plain flour and salt. Pour in the activated starter and add the oil or lard. Mix everything together and knead into a smooth, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands or the bowl.
3. First rising: Leave the kneaded dough in the bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size.
4. Dividing the dough: Divide the risen dough into 10 roughly equal pieces. Even portions ensure the rolls bake evenly and are ready at the same time.
5. Shaping the pastry: Shape the pieces into rolls, kaiser rolls, or baguettes, depending on what you want to bake. Arrange the shaped pieces with some space between them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Second rising: Let the prepared pastry rise on the tray for another 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step—the dough will regain volume after shaping, making the rolls even fluffier.
7. Brushing and topping: Brush the risen rolls with beaten egg to create a shiny, golden surface. Finally, sprinkle them with poppy seeds, sesame, caraway, or coarse salt as you like.
8. Baking: Preheat the oven to 250 °C. Once you put the tray with the rolls in, reduce the temperature to 190 °C and bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is evenly golden on top.
9. Serving: Remove the baked rolls from the oven and let them cool before serving. Enjoy them for breakfast, with soups, or use them as a base for homemade burgers.
How to Get a Crispy Crust
If you want your rolls to have a crunchier surface, place a small pot of water in the oven. The resulting steam helps create a more pronounced crust, while the inside of the pastry stays soft.
How to Adjust the Softness and Fluffiness of the Rolls
For an even fluffier result, you can let the dough rise longer than the basic instructions suggest. Watch the volume—it should roughly double before shaping.
The type of fat you use also affects the final texture. Lard gives the rolls a softer and more tender crumb than oil, but both options work well in this recipe.
Final Tip
You don’t have to make only rolls from this dough. It’s easy to shape it into baguettes or kaiser rolls and top them with your favorite seeds. If you prefer sweeter pastry, simply add a bit more sugar to the dough.
