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Chef John’s Caraway-Salt Kummelweck Rolls

Side Dish 🥗Snack 🍿 German 🇩🇪 Low-CarbLow-SodiumHeart-Healthy ❤️Vegetarian 🥦Plant-Based 🌻Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Chef John’s Caraway-Salt Kummelweck Rolls balance a tender, mildly sweet crumb with a crisp, briny crust sprinkled with caraway and coarse salt. Their aromatic bite and light honey note make them ideal for beef-on-weck sandwiches, but they’re just as good served warm with butter alongside soups or a weekend roast.

  • Prep30 mins
  • Cook20 mins
  • Serves12
  • DifficultyMedium
Chef John’s Caraway-Salt Kummelweck Rolls
  1. 1

    Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk 1/2 cup flour with warm water and yeast. Let stand until foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.

  2. 2

    Stir in 2 tablespoons oil, egg white, sugar, salt, and honey; whisk until smooth.

  3. 3

    Switch to the dough hook attachment. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining flour to the yeast mixture; knead until a soft, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. 4

    Drizzle the remaining vegetable oil into the mixer bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

  5. 5

    Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

  6. 6

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; flatten it and press it into a rectangle. Cut into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a roll. Place the rolls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

  8. 8

    Make the topping: Whisk egg white and water together in a small bowl. Using kitchen shears, snip an "X" in the top of each roll. Brush the rolls with the egg white mixture and sprinkle with caraway seeds and salt.

  9. 9

    Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.