The Fresh Loaf

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WEIZENBRÖTCHEN Sourdough Version with Caramelized Onions

Isand66's picture
Isand66

WEIZENBRÖTCHEN Sourdough Version with Caramelized Onions

  I love these rolls which were inspired by a recipe adapted from Karin Hanseata's blog.  The first time I made them I changed a few things but mostly stuck to the original formula per this post.

This time I wanted to try using a SD starter instead of the instant yeast so I converted the formula and added some caramelized onions to really put these over the edge.  I made these to bring to our friends barbeque for the hamburgers we were having and they were just right.  They were a little denser than the original version made with the yeast but I think that had more to do with the caramelized onions than anything else.  These are definitely worth making again and again.

Lupine

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Formula

Weizenbrotchen- SD version - Caramelized Onions (%)

Weizenbrotchen- SD version - Caramelized Onions (weights)

Downloaded BreadStorm Bun file.

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Caramelized Onions

Cut a whole sweet onion into thin rings and saute over low heat in olive oil for 35 minutes or if you want to get crazy go for 1.5 -2 hours but make sure it is really low.  You want the onions to be nice and soft and dark colored and they should end up almost like candied onions.  Let them cool off to room temperature before using in the main dough.

 

Levain Directions

Mix all the levain ingredients together  for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.   (Note: I used my AP 66% starter for the seed.) Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled.

 Main Dough Procedure

Mix the flours with the main dough water for about 1 minute.  Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour.  Next add the levain, olive oil, honey and salt and mix on low for 5 minutes.   Next add the caramelized onions and mix for another 1-2 minutes until they are fully incorporated.  You should end up with a cohesive dough that is slightly tacky and silky but very manageable.  Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.  (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Remove the dough and shape into around 14 rolls.

The rolls will take 1.5 to 2 hours to rise depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/2 it’s size at most.  Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 550 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.  Before putting the rolls in the oven brush with an egg wash and sprinkle on your seeds of choice.  I used black sesame seeds and poppy seeds.

After 5 minute lower the temperature to 440 degrees and bake for around 25 minutes or until they are nice and brown.

Take the rolls out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 1 hour before eating.

Crumb

CLEMATIS

 

Comments

rozeboosje's picture
rozeboosje

Those look delicious.

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks.  Give one of the versions a try and you won't be disappointed.

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

Not sure which, but I am going to give this a try this morning. Just stirred up the levain in fact. Can't tell you how many posts that I have looked at with this formula format, read through them, looked again at the photo, then decided that they were too advanced for this poor, math challenged brain. Now that I figured it out, it seems silly to not have done so before.

Here is what pushed me over the edge-about an hour before seeing your brotchen, I wondered if there might be a sourdough version of brotchen. When I went to the computer of course I had to check out the new posts before searching--and here is your Weizenbrotchen with Carmelized Onions! Only have 589 g of my precious 00 flour so will have to adlib with some all purpose.

As much as we all love carmelized onions, I think I want to try them plain this first time. Can you give me an idea of how much flour I should add to make up for them?

Just a note about those pecan cookies. I don't think the recipe says to toast the pecans but I did. The next day the remaining dough looked so dry that I patted it into a 13 x 9 pyrex pan, lined with parchment paper sticking up over the sides. Thought it would bake in about the time the chocolate chip cookie bars do, so left it at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Way too long, soft blonde color but very crisp. Just as they cooled almost too much to do so, I had the thought that they would make a good biscotti. Quickly lifted the dough out all at once and cut them into biscotti shape and size. They were really good. Not solid and hard like a biscotti, but crunchy enough to imitate one. Who knows, this may be a 30 minute substitute, have to call them biscotti bars or something since they aren't twice baked. As they say in all good science experiments....more study is indicated.

Thank you for posting this-

Barbra

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Barbara.  I don't think you need to add any flour, just leave out the onions an you should be fine.  If anything the onions make the dough wetter. 

Great improvisation on the pecan bars!

Let me know how the rolls turn out.

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

On Karin's blog there is a link to this from a TFL-er  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZNvRxyx1c

Just took some nice looking rolls out of the oven...an hour to wait...seriously? Good thing I baked the Double Fed Sweet Levain early this morning or these guys wouldn't stand a chance of cooling! Seriously though, that is the best bread I've ever tried.

I'll send a picture to our Posting Sister, Diane, so maybe she can send it to you when she gets back from her California trip.

Thanks for posting the sourdough version,

Barbra

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Look forward to seeing your bread and I'm glad I could inspire you with my version.

Regards,
Ian

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Barbara.  I don't think you need to add any flour, just leave out the onions an you should be fine.  If anything the onions make the dough wetter. 

Great improvisation on the pecan bars!

Let me know how the rolls turn out.

varda's picture
varda

Hi Ian,  Your rolls look wonderful as always.   Could you share your shaping secrets?  -Varda

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Varda.

i will try and make a video next week.  It's nothing too complicated.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

I need to learn to make some kind of slider buns and this recipe looks like ti would do just fine.  Your the King of Rolls man.

Lucy says she would be afraid to come visit Lexi and Max with those 'Freaky looking Flowers' you have growing in your yard.  Lucy is afraid of her own shadow so she is really a woosie when it come to weird looking stuff like flowers which don;t grow well in her back yard.:-)

In any event she loves your buns!  Well done and

Happy.Baking

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks DA.  I hope you and Lucy give these a try.  I know they may cause you to go into shock and your body might shut down from the lack of whole grains, but I think you may just survive if you throw in one of your famous salads :).

Glad you like them buns...As far as the flowers go, wait until my next post tomorrrow morning.  She may never come out from under the covers after seeing some more of my garden flowers :).  I have to keep a watchful eye out for my two gremlins to make sure they don't eat anything they shouldn't.

Look forward to next weeks post and food orgy!

Regards,
Ian

hanseata's picture
hanseata

Ian, herewith I declare you an honorary German!Good job, especially with the SD - I should try that next time.

Karin

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Karin!  I actually have a little bit of German in me on my Father's side of the family.  My last name Sandman is from German and Dutch heritage. 

Anyway, you should give the SD version a shot.  It's not as light and fluffy as the yeast version, but came out nice and tasty.  Thanks for your inspiration with your original great formula.

Regards,
Ian

hungryscholar's picture
hungryscholar

And caramelized onions are kind of like bacon in that they have a way of making anything tastier. But I'm having trouble believing my TFL feed lately, first dabrownman bakes the holey-est bread I can recall and now I can only find a single kind of flour in this formula!

But seriously, glad that you and Karin are paving the way with good German bread- something that does seem to be a bit underrepresented in a lot of the American all-purpose bread books.

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks.  Yes hard to believe it's only one kind of flour....sometimes a little self-control is a good thing!

Regards,

Ian