Brotchen

German Bread Rolls

Ingredients

• 475g All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp instant dry yeast
• 284g lukewarm water
• 1 egg white with a tablespoon of water whisked into it
• 3 cups or so water for steam during baking

Directions

1. Add flour, salt, sugar, yeast to stand mixer. Mix thoroughly with whisk attachment
2. Switch to dough hook and slowly add all the water
3. Knead the dough in the mixer for 15 min, adjust the flour water as necessary. You want it to be as dry as possible...just under the point where adding more flour results in clumps of dough that wont incorporate into the main mass. It should NOT stick to the bowl
4. Remove mixer bowl from mixer, cover, and place on hot pad at about 100 degrees for one hour.
5. Place empty cast iron pan on bottom shelf in oven. Adjust top shelf so it's about 1/3 from top. Preheat oven to 420
6. Take the bread dough out of the mixer bowl and weigh it. Divide that number by 8. Divide the dough into 8 rolls each weighing about what they should according to your previous math. Knead each roll to fully work in any small pieces of dough that you used to adjust the weight. From into balls, any seams should be on the bottom as to not be visible.
7. Space all 8 balls of dough on a sheet pan (I use a silicone liner too) Cover and place back on the hot pad for 30 min
8. Uncover and brush rolls with egg wash
9. Place sheet pan containing rolls on the top rack in the oven
10. Carefully pour the water into the case iron pan and quickly close the oven door as to trap the steam in the oven
11. Bake for 22 minutes

When serving rolls

1. Preheat toaster to 400
2. brush rolls with water (all sides)
3. Bake in toaster for 10 min and serve immediately