"wff_ng_7" > wrote:
> Today's project was making kaiser rolls.
>
> I make them using my sourdough starter, but I "cheated" this time and added some
> active dry yeast. I do that when I'm a little pressed for time and not sure of
> the potency of my starter. I shouldn't have worried, as it was only a week since
> the last time I refreshed it. Sometimes it's three weeks before I get around to
> it.
>
> The recipe I use is roughly based on the one for hard rolls in the Fanny Farmer
> cookbook. But I say roughly because I bake bread more by the "seat of the pants"
> method. I just use that as a hint for how much water to use and double it, to 3
> cups. The amount of flour is by feel, I add yeast if I feel like it, I put in my
> sourdough starter. I make the rolls much bigger than the Fanny Farmer recipe.
> That one says it yields 18 hard rolls. I'm essentially doubling the recipe and I
> get 12 rolls.
>
> The active dry yeast I'm using has an interesting "history". It is close to 4
> years old. It used to belong to my father, who passed away about 3-1/2 years
> ago. I keep it in the freezer. It's amazing how long it keeps. I would have used
> it up long ago, but most of my bread baking is with my sourdough starter and no
> added yeast.
>
> Here are pictures of the kaiser rolls and my next batch of sourdough starter,
> ready to be stirred down:
>
> Twelve Kaiser Rolls:http://i5.tinypic.com/67fo3zk.jpg
> Sourdough Starter:http://i7.tinypic.com/5402dev.jpg
>
> Kaiser rolls MUST have poppy seeds on top. I found a neat method to getting them
> evenly on the tops of the rolls. I put some poppy seeds in the bottom section of
> a small tea ball and shake them on.

That's not true. The vast majority of Kaiser rolls (actually they are
Vienna rolls) are naked (no seeds) except for a light dusting of rye
flour, and they are not made with sourdough, not ever. The real deal
hand made roll is higher, rounder, poofier, with a very thin crisp
dark brown crust and a light creamy crumb. I notice you never
mentioned how you formed them, the most important aspect of this
particualr roll is how they are formed into a five petaled rosette, a
trick you certainly would have not only mentioned but also
photographed in the making because it's kind of a well guarded secret
in the industry and not many know how.... those sure look machine
stamped to me... even old NYC union bakers with 50 years expereience
can't "klop" the petals that evenly by hand. Hand stamps can be
purchased (King Arthur sells them) but those are definitely machine
stamped. You didn't bake those rolls, you bought them, a dozen in a
plastic bag.

Don't anyone ever try to fool me with baked goods, especially not
breads.

Sheldon