Brötchen (German Sunflower Seed Rolls)

An overnight cold-proof makes these easy to prepare in the evening and bake fresh for breakfast. The steam-baking method gives them a proper bakery crust.

Ingredients

Dough

• 14g active-dry yeast (1 packet)
• 300ml milk, warm (~40°C / 104°F)
• 300ml water, cold (~5°C / 41°F)
• 470g all-purpose flour (white wheat flour), plus more for shaping
• 200g semolina flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 110g whole-grain rye flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 16g sea salt
• 16g neutral oil (avocado or olive)
• 150g sunflower seeds, dry-roasted

Toppings

• 200g raw sunflower seeds

Instructions

Activate the Yeast

1. Combine yeast and warm milk in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until bubbling. If it doesn’t bubble, the yeast is dead — start over.

Knead

2. Add water, all-purpose flour, semolina flour, rye flour, salt, and oil to the yeast mixture. Knead on the lowest speed for 10 minutes, then increase to medium and knead for 5 more minutes. The dough should be smooth, elastic, and pulling away from the sides.
3. Add the dry-roasted sunflower seeds and knead for 1 minute until combined.

Cold Proof

4. Transfer dough to a bowl and cover airtight. Refrigerate for 12 hours (overnight). The dough should roughly double in size.

Shape

5. Lightly flour your work surface. Transfer the chilled dough and shape into an even log. Divide into 8 equal pieces — halve first, then halve each half twice.
6. Three-fold technique: Working with one piece at a time, press flat with a floured palm into an elongated oval. Fold one short third over the centre and press down. Fold the remaining third over and press down again. You should have 3 layers. Press firmly to seal the seam. Repeat with all pieces.

Coat and Rise

7. Pour the raw sunflower seeds into a shallow bowl. Press each roll into the seeds from all sides to coat. If seeds aren’t sticking, brush or spray the rolls lightly with water and try again.
8. Place rolls seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean linen towel and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.

Bake

9. While the rolls rise, preheat oven to 230°C / 445°F. Place a large oven-safe pan filled with warm water on the bottom rack — this creates steam as the oven heats.
10. Lightly spray or brush rolls with water. Bake for 10 minutes with the steam pan in place.
11. Open the oven door wide for a few seconds to release the steam, then close and bake for another 5 minutes.
12. For the final 5 minutes, leave the oven door slightly ajar, or remove the water pan. This dries out the crust for a deep brown, crisp finish.

Cool

13. Transfer to a cooling rack. Leave uncovered and allow to cool completely before cutting — the crust continues to crisp as they cool.

Total time includes the 12-hour overnight cold proof. Active work is about 30 minutes the night before, plus 30 minutes the next day.

Roasting the sunflower seeds: Toast the 150g dough seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until just starting to brown. The 200g topping seeds are left raw — they toast on the surface during baking.

Steam: The steam in the first half of baking keeps the crust flexible so the rolls expand fully. Venting it mid-bake allows the crust to set and brown.