These rolls are nice and chewy with a very firm crumb. Most enjoyable.
I´ve been living in germany for 21 years now, and this recipe is very good. But to make them more authentic, lightly slice the rolls lengethwise and then add the egg wash.
Read More I am German and these Rolls are far from the real thing.
Read More I´ve been living in germany for 21 years now, and this recipe is very good. But to make them more authentic, lightly slice the rolls lengethwise and then add the egg wash.
Definetly took a while, but it was worth it. Had lots of my German friends come over and everyone loved it and said it tasted just like German Brotchen. Made 33, had 10 guests, and all the rolls were gone at the end of the evening. Just make sure you put the eggwash on just a second before putting them into the oven. Any earlier and they won't turn out very shiny. A++++++
After living in Germany for 5 years and searching for a brotchen recipe, I am happy with this one as being authentic.
These rolls are the very best you can make at home. The ice in the oven makes the crust just like a bakery. I will make this again. Thank you.
I have been searching many websites for authentic texture of german brotchen. It is obvious many have not tried the real thing. This recipe is as close as I have come, the texture is correct. Now I just have to shape them correctly, and get the right crust. :)
These are on request CONSTANTLY! What a great recipe and is the closest I have found to the "real deal" as far as a brotchen recipe is concerned. I've been through a ton of them and since getting them here where I am is Impossible the only thing I can do is make my own. =) THANK YOU!
My Hungarian husband says perfect. MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE IS THAT I USED A BREAD MACHINE ON THE DOUGH SETTING. I made another tiny change which I will probably keep. I didn't have another egg for the egg wash, so I put about an 1/8 cup of milk and 2 T of butter in the dish that I had whipped the egg whites. Put the milk mixture in the microwave for 30 secs. Used this as my egg wash. First batch came out perfectly, the second batch came out with a crusty crust like "Au Petit Pan." Both were "flawless," according to husband and son. They want me to start making these every day we are in the US. I didn't find this any more labor intensive than any other bread or roll recipe on this site, but I did use the bread machine.
these were soooooo good! My family loved them. It was not easy, but then again, it was my first time making bread. Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
Outstanding recipe. Tastes exactly like the ones my Opa used to get at the bakery every morning
Although these were time consuming, due to the three risings, they turned out good. I was able to get a nice crust on mine with a soft center. The texture is softer than the brotchen that I recall in Gemany, but they are still good. I was able to cut this recipe in half without any trouble. Thanks for sharing!
These were very easy to make, considering it was my first attempt at making any kind of bread! Mine did come out huge, though. They're great fresh out of the oven with honey butter, and really good sliced and toasted the next day!
Not being a baker by any stretch of the imagation and having failed at a "Sourdough Bread" attempt last night that should have been sold to the the "Defense Department, I decided to give this a try. I lived in Germany for about seven years and recently found a very good german grocey that had homemade brotchen that was hot out of the oven. Only problem, an hour away. Now I have to have! So, I started early today and spent a long time carefully reading, re-reading, measuring, re-measuring, etc. Then when I got to the first punch down got scared as it seemed to wet! So had an emergency phone call to my sister-in-law who can bake a combat boot with two tours and make it taste good. Although she was not quite sure what a Brotchen was, she said "hold steady". I followed recipe to the "T". They do not look like brotchen but then again I have trouble just drawing a straight line. But.... they tasted like "BROTCHEN"! OMG! I am so excited... Hubby just said, want a brick oven, new blender? You name it, you got it. I want more of these! Tomorrows breakfast will be Brotchen, liverwrust, butter and cheese just like a German breakfast in a Guesthouse. Now I want to go back to Germany! Thank you for this recipe and thank you for my success! FYI, if anyone sees an Sourdough loaf come flying by, it is probably mine! LOL!
Much like the real thing. No need to change much of anything. I do heat the oven at 500 and add lots of steam for the first 10 minutes. I do not use egg on the tops, I use oil. This combo makes the bread crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Since I found this recipe I have stopped using all other German Brotchen recipes, and I have made this at least 2-3 times per month for the last couple years. It is my family favorite.
I am German and these Rolls are far from the real thing.
These take a LOT of time but they DO taste good. They are a bit tricky to make and taste very 'yeasty'. While it is a good recipe, I don't think they are very reminicent of the ones I had in Germany.
I am German, and these rolls are the real thing.
Great recipe..... best one I found so far. I'm originally from germany and the Broetchen are one of the things my kids and I miss a lot. But not anymore... thanks to this great recipe :-))
My second rating....I am a male, which should answer the original reason for my initial rating. My first time to really try to bake. After 4 attempts, I totally gave up and gave the recipe a rating of 1 star. Not one to give up, I researched and here is what I did not know. The water should be warm tapwater, 110 degrees kills the yeast. The eggs used need to be room temperature when folding them into the dough. The salt should be added to the flour and mixed prior to putting it into the yeast liquid. After that all worked great. Wunderbar.
when I made this bread, my friend had them all!!
Authentic and delicious! Just like the ones my family use to get in Germany. Light, chewy middle and firm but not tough crust. Dough was light and easy to handle. I served them at a small dinner party, and my friends loved them!
My dad was stationed the in army in Germany when I was growing up and I have missed the brotchen! These were very good! I followed the recipe as is, but I did mist water over the tops of them a couple of times while cooking. We grilled bratwurst and ate them on the brotchen! It was just like we were in Germany! I am going to make sandwhiches out of the rest and freeze them to save for later! Thanks for the recipe!
These are a great roll. They aren't as good as other Brotchen that I've had but, all and all they are good. The family loved them.
This is a fair recipe. It's not quite like the one's we get in Germany, but my German husband finds them an okay substitute (this is a big compliment from him!). The taste does seem a tad bit too yeast-like, as someone else mentioned. The texture is very good too. I suggest using butter instead of shortening, unless you are on a restrictive diet.
Baking time seemed to be to long. Otherwise tasted good. Most German Brotchen I have had are round not oval.
Very delicious! The smell of them coming out of the oven instantly brings back childhood memories of Germany. We have been eating these for breakfast for a few days now. Few suggestions: Start early, be sure to let the final rise really go as long as possible and be sure to slice the tops (very sharp knife) as you add the egg wash.
I'm fairly new to bread making. These rolls came out AWESOME! I followed the instructions and they came out shiny with a nice crusty exterior and light fluffy interior. I will definitely make these again, it's totally worth the effort.
My husband's Mom is Dutch and spent his first 3 years in the ARMY in Germany, and much of his childhood in the Netherlands. We visit Europe quite often and are huge fans of Brotchen. After our last trip (Jul '09), I decided I needed to get a good recipe for brotchen. We bought some from the Commissary Bakery (which makes a pretty good version), but I couldn't handle my family consuming all that white flour and other additives. Yes, I am one of those who mills her own wheat and makes her own bread. This recipe is incredible and my husband was so suprised by how authentic the rolls taste. One of my best friends is German and lives across the street and said that they taste authentic. So this recipe is the best and you can't go wrong with it. I used soft white wheat for my rolls. I will try to attach a photo. Thanks MATBELET!
My husband is from Germany and gets home-sick at times. He often complains about Canadian buns... they are just not the same. So, to save myself having to hear the complaints, I tried this recipe. He was shocked! They are just like German buns. Now he eats them every morning with salami. I love them too! And they freeze well.
WE LIVED IN GERMANY FOR THREE YEARS & HAVE FINALLY FOUND A RECIPE FOR BROTHCHEN THAT TASTE LIKE THE ONES FROM GERMANY & A GERMAN BAKERY IN THE U.S. WE'VE HAD THEM FROM. GREAT!
I made these rolls they are so good. My mother in law is from Germany and has made rolls over the years and made rolls like these and I have tryed to make them like hers but was not able to until I found this receipe it is so close to her roll receipe. I am so glad I found it. My mother in law is not able to bake any more due to her poor eye sight, now I can make her rolls.
I made this recipe twice and the rolls turned out the same..... more like biscuits and nothing like the broetchen that I've grown up with in Germany. They were way too dense inside. Oh well. I'm still searching for that *one* recipe......
I noticed a lot of people saying that the roll loses its crustiness after a day or so. Trick I learned from my German mom...run the frozen or day old roll under water (just lightly wet it, don't soak it) and pop in 400 degree oven for a few minutes. It will crust right back up!
I REALLY wanted these to taste like the rolls my "Oma" would walk to pick up every morning at her town bakery when we visited her in Germany...but I was sad that they didn't. They were okay...but definitely not like the brotchens I remember. I did the ice in the water trick, but the crust still wasn't like the crisp crusts in Germany. They were good rolls...but I didn't think they tasted close to authentic German brotchens.
These were really good! I recommend these if you live in the States and can´t get your hand on German brotchen. But I have to say they were in my opinion a lot of work. You better have a lot of free time on your hands!
Wonderful flavor. Mine didn't rise much in the last rising but I think the error was mine. Great with soups or lunch meats.
These were very good. My brother told me they tasted like rolls. Very much unlike the fresh brotchen we get from our bakery in town. Maybe it was because I cut the recipe in half or did'nt let them rise enough, I dont know. Maybe next time?!
I followed this recipe to the letter of the law and they turned out PERFECTLY! Excellent for sandwiches, rolls, or just straight out of the oven with butter. If you use a dark pan, I would suggest reducing cooking time so as to not overcook>*****
THANK YOU!!!! When I was little and we visited my grandmother in Germany, we'd get fresh rolls for breakfast in the morning. They were unbelievably chewy on the inside and crackly on the outside, JUST LIKE THESE - delicious slathered with butter and honey. I never found anything like them in the states. Thank you SO MUCH for posting the recipe!
I've never had these rolls in Germany, so I have nothing to compare them to. However, I do like the crunchy outside and soft inside. Very good! For those of you who are leary of the ice step, the reason for the ice is so the outside will become crispy like a French baguette. These rolls rise A LOT during baking--didn't rise that much before baking, but really rose wonderfully during baking. Thanks for the recipe!
I was also born in Germany, and like Schwabengirl said, they are not 100% legit,but pretty close. They are good right after you make them, but they start to lose the harder crust and get more spongy after 1 or 2 days. So, if you make them, eat them right after you make them.
This recipe is perfection! My first batch didn't turn out so great, however, I made another batch and they were as authentic to the real deal as you can get. I was born in Germany and as a child ate these every day. Haven't had them in 50 years until now. I will never be without Brotchen again. I also shared these with my neighbors who have both visited Germany and loved the brotchen. They were both so happy and couldn't say enough about tasting exactly like the ones they had over there. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Well I've never had one of these before now, but they were great. I LOOVED the crunchy crust and soft inside. The flavor is very different...sort of like sourdough maybe. I didn't change anything in this recipe and they came out great. Perfect for making sandwhiches out of, or eating straigh from the oven (or both:))
Excellent recipe! First time I ever made home made Brötchen and they turned out great! Now I am ready to experiment with more grains. Thank you!
I am German and I love them. I have made them again and I used my food processor. I dissolved the yeast and sugar in the warm water, then I dumped the flour and salt in and let it mix, I whipped the egg whites really stiff added them in and then added all my flour plus extra as the dough was very wet. It is very cool today and then quickly turned the oven to 200 f to preheat while I kneaded my dough quickly on a floured surface and divided my buns.
Very wonderful recipe. The rolls turned out just perfect, but it takes a lot of patience and time for a great outcome. Well worth the time spent. Thanks!
this was my first time making bread and boy did it take forever! still good but i think i might stick to store bought bread
My husband is German and living in the States he misses wonderful German bakeries. I have now made these 4 times for him and they have always turned out wonderfully and he LOVES them! He says they taste just like home. Doubling the recipe works perfectly for large groups (i.e. Thanksgiving). Just be sure to eat them within 3-5 days after making them or they start to mold.
I made these for my daughter's German language class. Make sure you have a few hours to devote to making these. As with any recipe make sure you read all directions before you begin. Good rolls, especially right out of the oven, but I've never had Brotchen before, so I cannot compare them to the real thing.
These were perfect. Nice and crusty on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. Next time I will quarter the recipe, or at least half it, because they lose the crustiness if you freeze them, though they still taste great. Another reason to cut the recipe (unless you can actually cook all the batches at once) the first batch turns out the best, and the remainders sit out for to long and become to dense before baking so they don't rise as much during baking. I would love any feedback that could prevent this from happening .
This was the first time I have ever baked my own bread without the help of a breadmaker. I forgot that they would grow on the cookie sheet while I waited to bake them.....so we had some very very large brotchen rolls. We all loved the bread and I will make it again remembering that I need to make the dough pieces about half the size that I actually want. I also used a baking stone for the ice....(bad move) It broke from the extreme temps =(. Yes I'm still in the learning stage. SO 5 stars for the recipe....3 stars for the cook.
It was delicious and much more crusty than I can get from the bakeries around where I live. I miss the brotchen I used to eat in Germany, and I think that it's hard to duplicate the flavors because the wild yeast strains in Germany are different than those in the states and even if you can get the same yeast strains, the local ones will eventually take over. Tip: I noticed in the pictures that many people trying this recipe did not slash the bread from one side to the other. For a more authentic looking brotchen, you should start at almost the bottom of the roll and slash all the way over to nearly the bottom on the other side; be very generous with the egg white too. Also the water in the bottom pan is critical. Bakeries use steam ovens, which helps keep the crust hard, but thin. Again, this was delicious and I'll use this recipe many times!
can anyone help me and explain why ice cube is needed in this recipe...Im not native speaker so I might understood "putting in ice cubes" directly it may says another meaning...pls help Im ready for baking thx in advance everyone
These are amazing if you are looking for a good crusty roll. A little more complicated than the average roll, but worth the effort. The perfect acompaniment to Ham & bean soup.
These are amazing! My Family and friends couldn't get enough. The down side is they took a lot of time, but well worth it!
ATTENTION ALL COOKS WHO LIVED IN GERMANY!! In texture these seem to be what I remembered as a 10 year old girl visiting my aunt in Stolberg (1/2 hr. from Aachen). The local bakery would deliver them to her door every third day. BUT and this is a big issue: The FLAVOR AND THE AROMA - that's what is missing! I never forgot the aroma of the real things even 40 years later! And it took me 20 years to realize what it was---BREWER'S YEAST! I guarantee if I can find someone somewhere who has eaten brotchen with this aroma and can tell me how to duplicate it in this recipe, I will have found the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow!! I have tried adding "Nutritional Yeast" to dough (which has this smell) and it just bakes out in the final result. I even called a bakery in Wisconsin who apprenticed in Germany at a bakery an hour away from Stolberg. He told me every bakery makes these differently and what they add is a closely guarded secret. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP CRACK THIS CODE!! If you think these are delicious NOW...JUST YOU WAIT TIL YOU HAVE THAT AROMA WAFTING OUT OF THE KITCHEN! Looking desperately for any suggestions on how to infuse this recipe with that aroma and slight flavor of Brewers Yeast!! THANKS IF YOU CAN HELP!
These were wondeful rolls, a nice flavor! I made them for my father-in-law who is German and he loved them!
I changed this up a bit but these are absolutely excellent. The are hard on the outside and chewy on the inside. They are good with wet and dry fillings and last a long time. I substitute butter for the shortening and used white wheat flour. They turn out well every time make them. I did try to use coconut oil and it worked well but make sure to use the organic kind since it has very little coconut flavor.
These rolls are delicious and rarely survive seconds out of the oven. The only thing is that they're nothing like broetchen. The outside needs to be crisp.
just came back from Germany ,and this is the real thing. everyone just loves them the best ever. thanks so much
They turned out great! Just for breakfast this morning I had one warmed with nutella like I used to when I was growing up in Germany!
This recipe tasted nothing like the Broetchen that I lived on in Germany. They rolls themselves were not bad - my family polished them off in two days.
Great recipe. Brings back memories from Germany. Dough was beautiful to work with.
I modified this recipe for my bread machine. I halfed the yeast, sugar, water, salt and flour. They turned out yummy but lacked the overall crusty texture I was looking for. I am going to try to get a pan that has holes in it to bake it next time...I used a stone this time. I really want this to work as we love German Brotchen.
I just did them this weekend! realy easy to make!! First try was realy good! I did the Recipe with All Purpes Flour and one with Whole Weat Flour!!! YUUUMMMMM! realy GOOD
This was my first attempt at baking any type bread from scratch. It looks wonderful. The texture is great. All seems right until you taste it. Maybe I just don't know how German Brotchen is suppose to taste. Not bad tasting, just kind of no taste at all. I think I will continue with my new quest of baking bread though. I was fun!!
Made these for our German food night at our Bible study and those that have been stationed there said these were absolutely "spot on"...the bread tastes like it came from a bakery...will make these from now on... great recipe.
We lived in Germany for 3 years. We won't make these too often (long process). However, they are very good. Did the math for those that are dieting, and they were 160 calories each.
The best German rolls I have ever had in the USA! I'm German and have lived here for over 16 years, these are the best rolls outside of Germany :)
I have not eaten these before, so I wasnt sure what they were suppose to taste like, but I made them for our "Oktoberfest" dinner and everyone gobbled them up. Someone brought some sort of raspberry jelly from Germany and they went very nicely together. As far as making them, well it wasn't difficult but it did take some time but so does everything else you make from scratch like this. Overall, I was very pleased with the results. They aren't something I would make on a regular basis but for a German type meal, they were perfect so I consider it a success.
I am German and a Broetchen lover, so I had high hopes for this recipe. I made only half of the recipe, but otherwise followed it. It was a lot f work! The texture and taste turned out pretty good, and quite German, but they don't look very German and you have to leave them in the oven until they are dark to get them to be "knusprig" (=crunchy). I took my first batch out of the oven when it had the golden color (20 min) but they were too soft. The second batch I left in 23 min and they turned out much nicer. Not sure if I'll make them again (they were a lot of work, and similar to the take and bake ones from my grocery store).
We just got back from Germany and were determined to have Brotchen bread. I followed the recipe exactly, and also took the advice of another reviewer to cut/slice the tops before brushing on the egg/milk mixture. They look and taste like the real deal. We plan on making a batch more often to have traditional German dinner fare, complete with meats and cheeses!
Just made these... they are really good, and I will not pay $1 each at the German store ever again! Make sure you have a good pastry brush for the wash (I didn't)... makes them crunchy like the Germans.
It definitely takes some time to do, but it's worth it. I found that the rolls brown very quickly and didn't need the full 20 minutes, I took mine out at about 15-18 minutes and they were just right. My family loves them, and I'm sharing these with my German 2 class tomorrow! Two thumbs up(:
I've made the recipe several times and have now modified it a tad bit by substituting 1/3rd of the regular [unbleached] flour for 100% whole grain flour. Comes out great as a slightly denser Brotchen with more (to me) flavor.
Very easy to make, slightly time consuming, but easy. I baked some of them for a little less time than the others and they were perfect for sandwiches or buns (if you make them large enough.) The ones that i baked longer went perfectly with dinner. Tasted great! Will for sure make them again!!!
I let this sit an hour each time, they are so yummy, I make them all the time now!!
I just took a batch of these out of the oven. They are just what I was looking for. I am going to visit my in-laws next week and wanted something to make for them while I am there. Thank you so much for the recipe.
This was a fantastic recipe! I loved it; like having a butter boat! =) My family likes soft rolls though and so, I won't make too often seeing as not too many get eaten by anyone but myself. However, I fed them to extended family and neighbors who ate them with enthusiam. Kudos to Holly!
Perfect! Took all day. But worth it. It tastes awesome and it was my first time executing this recipe. Can't wait to master it.....
This is the best dinner roll recipe I've ever made and I make bread almost weekly. Trying out varies bread recipes and at times striving for delicious bakery like bread this one is definitely one of those recipes! I followed recipe as is, beside the flour amount (7 cups) which was way too much. I did everything by hand and added about half that amount of flour as I didn't find the need for adding more as my dough was perfectly smooth and elastic with the amount of flour I used. As for shaping these, I rolled these into a long log and cut them into about 1.5" wide pieces, that way you don't get oddly shaped rolls but more identical to each other when rolling into balls. Split the tops of the rolls during the last stage of rising (on baking sheet). When these came out I was very impressed with the crust as they were very crisp and hard but when I broke into the roll, WOW so soft, fluffy and chewy!!! And that was just what I was looking for! I've always wondered how to make a crispy exterior and this recipe is that! I think the whites folded into the batter has a lot to do with the texture of these rolls. Regardless this a staple recipe and I know I will make these again! So worth the time and effort.
To start, yes, I made some very minor changes--just two, in my case: 3 cups of the flour I used was King Arthur white whole wheat, and I made 32 rolls instead of 24. That said, it worked BEAUTIFULLY. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars rather than 5 is that it is a little too yeasty, flavor-wise; I'm going to try reducing the yeast to 1 1/2 tbsp in my next batch. Other than that, it's great. The outside is nice and chewy, the inside soft, and the flavor holds up both sharp cheese and good whole-grain mustard. They also taste absolutely awesome with butter and Nutella (yes, both--don't judge me). On a side note, I'm a little confused by those who say that it takes a long time--do you folks not regularly make yeast breads? Some of my regular recipes need to rise in the refrigerator overnight, so the fact that I was able to make the dough for this in about 20 minutes, and then have the rolls in the oven within 2 1/2 hours made the recipe seem really quick to me!
Made these for a family Oktoberfest we have every year and they disappeared fast!! Will be making these again, just as they are! Thank you!
Easy to make and the turned out excellent.. made these to be eaten with bratwurst and some mustard.
Thanks for the great recipe. I made them today and found it quite easy. I had a hard time waiting for them to come out of the oven. The Brotchen and a cup of Jacobs coffee took me back to Germany. I will be making this recipe from now on when I want fresh rolls
I made this for the first time today...wow! I was running short on time so I let the dough rise in the fridge for 2 hours (first rise)...punched it down and let it cold rise another 2.-3 hours. When I got home, I formed the rolls, let them rise for 40 min. and washed them with egg white. I baked them on convection for about 17 min. at 425. They were a big hit!
The inside texture was good, but I think I'll need to tweak the baking instructions to suit my old temperamental gas oven in order to get the crunchy golden crust.
I love making brothchen. When my husband was stationed in Germany, the children would trade fresh brotchen for MREs. Delicious!
This recipie is much too good. - After longing for some real German Brotchen we decided to make our own. - We overkilled on brotchen, butter and jam. - Don't make this recipie unless you have a lot of willpower. -
I wasn't at all pleased with the flavor until..I put them in the freezer and brought them out and heated them for dinner the next night. They were delicious, crusty, flavorful. I will make these again and again. Labor intensive, the flavor is worth it!!
Really fun to make and so delicious iz ridiculous!it takes a while and your tired afterwards but the reward is scrumptious! you can also cut them in half and toast them and put jam or butter on them and just...wow. great.
These were amazing rolls! Not quite what I remember from my time in Germany. I think the brotchen I had there was made with rye or something because they were more "tart" other than that the rolls on their own are very tasty!
These are wonderful. I frequent a farmer's market in Bathurst NB Canada...whose German Frikadellen and Schnitzel are served on these buns with their homemade relish and hot mustard. Delish. These buns are the authentic taste I was looking for. Note...this recipe does make 24 buns. I thought that I would need extra dough for the sandwiches noted above, but not so. I elongated the dough the second batch and this gave me the correct dimensions. I made as recipe directed. Probably did not need the full 7 cups of flour.
