Everyday Bread #42 - Die schnellsten Broetchen der Welt Revisited

World Fastest Buns topped with Seeds

I've made these 'World's Fasted Buns' before, my take on the German recipe  Die schnellsten Brötchen der Welt. It seemed the perfect time to try it again: we've got family coming over for a 'Chicken Naming Party', and they probably will like the all-purpose buns rather than the whole grain breads I've been making.

This time I've followed some of my own advice: I've preheated the oven, I've put some seeds on top (with an egg and milk wash that I would dip each doughball into prior to coating with seeds); I've let the yeast sit 5 minutes to froth up, and the dough sat for about 10 minutes as I shaped each bun.  A longer resting period might have been better, or perhaps a better forming technique.  I probably manhandled them a bit, making a boule of each one, rather than rolling them on the counter the way some professionals do.  I didn't score them, so they've ripped themselves apart and become misshapen.

It takes far longer to take pictures of things than it does to make these buns.

Everything in its place (except honey, it is so messy, I wanted to mash it into the yeast directly):

I used my finger.

Since my 2 cup measuring cup only goes to 500 ml, I used that much milk and 100 ml of water.  The water I added to the yeast warmed.  I think I microwaved it a tad too long, though, it might have hurt some of the yeast.

But I stirred it up and let it sit 5 minutes.  The yeast that survived got a little bit frothy in that time; but I think they should have been frothier than this!

I dumped it into the flour bucket and added the milk and salt.  Strange time to add the salt, I thought, but that seems to be what the recipe calls for.

I mixed it up with a wooden spoon.

Until it got pretty tough to stir.  Then I began to use my hands.

Eventually I realized that, in order to incorporate this much flour into the mixture, I would have to dump it out on the counter and knead it a fair bit.

It made me wonder if perhaps I could cut back on the amount of flour by about 1/4-1/2 cup or so.  The recipe called for 1 kg of flour -- I measured that out to be about 6 3/4 cups, using the scoop and sweep method.  But, with a little persistence, and kneading for about 4 minutes, the dough was fairly respectable.  But I didn't make any attempt at this time to build the gluten, just get the dough mixed.

Even prior to this, when I dumped in the milk, I was preheating the oven.  By now it was hot enough, and I hadn't even shaped any buns.

I whisked the egg wash: one of the reasons I was making this in the first place was because we had some egg whites that needed to be used up.

I cut off a piece of the dough and made a tiny boule.

I dipped the boule into the eggwash.

And then it was dipped into some seeds.  I had sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and a few pine nuts.

I set them on a baking sheet, seam side down.

Then I set the camera down and didn't take any more pictures until they were done, 25 minutes later.

To me, these buns look very blonde, despite the egg wash.

I'm not sure what can be done to correct that.  Perhaps I should try baking them with steam?  For a bit longer, perhaps?  I may need a slightly higher temperature for steam.

Perhaps a slightly elongated ball, scored down the longitudinal axis, might make the buns look a little nicer.

My wife had to taste one for lunch.  She chose one with multiple kinds of seeds on it.

Crumb Shot: Die schnellsten Brötschen der Welt Revisited

 

She ate it with Quark (Cottage Cheese) that we had left over from last night's 'new potatoes'.

Notes to Myself:

• Next time you make these, make sure the water isn't too hot.
• Next time, let them sit 30 minutes at least to proof.
• Next time, use steam in the oven
• Next time, try some whole wheat in the mix: say, 4 c All Purpose, 1 1/2 c Whole Wheat, 1 c Rye (to give them some flavour and some colour).  This cuts back on the amount of flour by 1/4 cup.  You may still need to increase the water content to, oh, I won't know, 650 ml.
• Use a whole egg wash (not just the whites).
• Make a slightly elongated boule shape, and score them down the long axis just before baking.
• Find out from those who eat them what they prefer on the tops of their buns.