‘The’ Brötchen recipe
Zeb asked about a recipe for German rolls. I haven’t made these but since I trust the source, I can just as well post it. All is given is the naked formula, no instructions on fermentation times. Meant to bake these. Will.
From a first look, looks like a stiff dough. Add more water to desired consistency. Also, please scale to your own needs 
Brötchen-Rezept
pâte fermentêe
- 3000g flour, Type 550 (strong white flour)
- 1500g water, cold
- 15g fresh yeast
white leaven
- 1000g flour, Type 550 (strong white flour)
- 600g water
- 100g white leaven, stiff
dough
- 4515g pâte fermentêe (all of the above)
- 1600g white leaven (all of the above minus 100g)
- 6000g flour, Type 550 (strong white flour)
- 3700g water
- 200g salt
I am so stupid tonight, I have left my thanks on the wrong bit. But thanks again, that’s really kind of you.
Zeb
20 July 2009 at 04:40
Hi Nils, I tried this one today as you had been so kind as to find and translate. I made the pate fermentee and the leaven yesterday about 6 pm and I mixed the dough about 9 am. I baked the rolls at about 12 midday. One half I baked at 240 for 20 minutes, too hot, the crust was a bit thick. The second lot I baked at 230 for 15 minutes, and the crust was much better. Crisp but not so thick. However, I tried the knotting string trick and it sort of worked but I think you have to make more than 4 to really get the hang of it, Nice sourdough irregular type holes in the crumb and good flavour. They had really big oven spring, I was quite surprised and some had a biggish hole right in the middle of the roll. But definitely brotchen not baps! Tusen tak! as my mother would have said.
Zeb
24 July 2009 at 03:05
Sounds wonderful, Zeb. Unfortunately I don’t have any ideas about how these rolls of former times should feel or taste like. Perhaps this dough and the knotting can produce something like rosette rolls from Italy that have a large hole in the middle. Will give them a try soon too.
This scan (there should be a link here) I made from an old cookbook from the 50′s could give a vague idea, I admit that breakfast table displayed on the upper right corner looks a bit outdated
theinversecook
24 July 2009 at 14:21
Lovely picture, Nils! I will give them another go soon and make the dough a bit wetter as it was quite firm. I am sure you are right, that the knotting creates the hole in the middle, doh, so even if the surface of the dough seals over while proofing, all those little surfaces inside the knot create the space, I hadn’t thought enough about it. ( I also want to make the Backer Supke ones….)
Zeb
24 July 2009 at 15:15
I feel that I have to make them a little softer as well, regarding water content. Especially with the German Type 550 flour which I think is sturdier and absorbs more water then its ‘cousin’, the French T55. Could be wrong, of course. Since Baker Süpke uses German flour as well in his recipe, maybe it is the mixing that softens it.
The images from well-made breads made with British strong white flour look mostly terrific, but I wouldn’t know about water absorption comparing to German flour again.
theinversecook
26 July 2009 at 20:02