Gluten-Free Kaiser Bread Roll

This is a very typical bread roll made & served in Austria known as the Kaisersemmel, meaning Emperor’s Roll. It is also called a Vienna roll and distinguished by the top side usually divided in an asymmetric pattern of five segments.

Austria’s favourite sandwich

Kaiser bread rolls are typically eaten with cold meats or a thick warm ham & cheese slice called Leberkäse and are a lunchtime favourite for workers or schoolchildren.

How else are Kaiser bread rolls eaten?

All the Vienna coffeehouses serve baskets full of Kaiser bread rolls at breakfast to be enjoyed with jams, sliced cheese, cold meats and eggs. Dinner is often accompanied with these rolls especially with soups like popular pumpkin soup, goulash and any dish that has an abundant serving of sauce.

Ingredients needed:

Making these rolls from scratch calls for some basic ingredients when following a gluten recipe, however in order to make a decent gluten-free Kaiser roll, sweet rice flour, gluten-free plain flour, potato starch and psyllium husk are required. The result is a crisp exterior with a fluffy, tasty centre. The flavour is close to the real thing and can be eaten over two days provided the rolls are reheated to enjoy their texture.

How do you make the classic Kaiser design?

The classic pattern created on the top of each roll is normally done with a Kaisersemmel stamp, but for practical purposes, I resorted to using a sharp knife to sketch out the pattern. Scoring a cross on the top with a shape-pointed knife is also fine if you are less inclined to sketch the classic pattern!

What toppings can be added?

Keeping the tops plain is more traditional, but if you like more flavour and texture, poppy seeds or sesame seeds are often used as alternative toppings.

Adobe photo with gluten-free kaiser bread rolls
row of gluten-free kaiser semmel rolls in a bread basket

Gluten-Free Kaiser Bread Rolls (Kaisersemmel)

by Sandra - Fun Without Gluten
These gluten-free rolls are Vienna's favourite bread to have any time of the day with practically everything whether it is soups, stews, a simple sandwich or breakfast. Crossing the tops of the bread rolls with a sharp knife or a kaiser bread press gives it that classic Kaiser design.
They are excellent to eat freshly baked. They lose their softness slightly the next day but can be restored by spraying some water on each roll and reheating them in a moderate oven or in an air fryer for 5 minutes.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course baking, bread
Cuisine Austrian
Servings 10 rolls

Equipment

  • 1 Benchtop mixer
  • 1 Sharp knife or Kaiser bread press (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 500 ml milk, lukewarm
  • tbsp dried yeast
  • 30 g sugar
  • 200 g sweet rice or glutinous rice flour
  • 300 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free plain flour
  • 1 tbsp  potato starch
  • 3 tsp psyllium husk (leave out if your store-bought flour already has xanthan gum or psyllium husk)
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 60 g butter, at room temperature
  • Extra sweet rice flour for rolling

For decorating the bread rolls

  • 1 egg mixed with some water, for brushing the rolls
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds,

Instructions
 

  • Mix the milk, yeast and sugar together and set aside covered in a warm place for 10 minutes to activate.
  • Mix the flours, potato starch, psyllium husk and salt together in a large bowl or benchtop stand mixer bowl.
    A ball of Kaiser bread roll dough
  • Add the activated yeast mixture and butter to the flour mixture. Beat well for 5 minutes. The mixture should start to be slightly sticky and come away from the sides.
  • Cover and allow to rest for two hours in a warm place.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
  • Divide the dough into equal size balls, rolling them in some sweet rice flour if they feel too sticky.
  • Using a sharp knife either sketch out the classic Kaiser flower design or simply score a cross in the centre. Allow the knife to go halfway down the roll. Due to the nature of the gluten-free rolls, the dough may seal up again but most of the design will be visible once baked. 
    kaiser design on kaiser bread roll before baking
  • Mix the egg and some water to make an egg wash.
  • Brush each roll with the egg wash. Sprinkle some with sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds or leave the tops plain, if preferred.
    kaiser bread rolls brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds
  • Spray some water over the rolls and around the tray just before baking. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle shelf. The bottoms of each roll should be golden and sound hollow when tapped.
    baked kaiser bread rolls with one being lifted to show how crisp they are
  • Allow them to cool slightly before serving. Cover with a clean tea towel if serving later.

Notes

  • Best eaten on the day of baking
  • If eaten the next day, they can be refreshed by spraying some water on each roll and reheating them in a moderate oven or in an air fryer for 5 minutes.
  • They freeze well and can be reheated directly from the freezer to a moderate oven in 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the rolls with foil while reheating to prevent the outside from over-baking.
a gluten-free kaiser bread roll split in half to show how airy the texture is
Keyword gluten-free bread rolls, gluten-free kaiser bread rolls
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by | Sep 28, 2021 | Baking, Bread | 2 comments

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