Kaiser rolls Viennese style

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 600 g wheat flour (type 550)
• 1 cube of yeast, fresh
• 2 tsp sugar
• 200 ml milk, lukewarm
• 40 g butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• Flour, for working
• Milk, for brushing

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes

taste best fresh, prepare the dough in the evening and just bake it in the morning

Put the flour into a bowl and make a well. Crumble the yeast into the well, sprinkle with sugar, and pour over the milk. Stir in a little flour from the edge to form a thin paste, then cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Heat the butter in 125 ml water until melted. Let cool again. Pour the buttered water into the dough well and sprinkle salt on the floured edge. Mix everything together and knead into a smooth dough. The dough should then pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough on a sheet of baking paper, lightly dust with flour, cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel, and let rest for 1 hour. Once the dough has risen, knead it thoroughly again and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape these into balls and place them on a baking sheet with the seam facing down and the baking paper on top. Cut a cross-shaped incision in the surface of the rolls about 3 cm deep. Cover the rolls again with a damp towel and let rest for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250°C (top and bottom heat), or 230°C (fan oven). Remove the cloth and bake the rolls in the hot oven (center) for about 25 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush the rolls with milk to give them a crispy crust. Place the hot rolls on a wire rack, cover with a dry cloth, and let them rest briefly. Then remove the cloth and let them cool. Tip: Dust the floured dough in a plastic bag and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator (vegetables drawer). This way, the rolls will be freshly baked the next morning.