The first version of the Kieler Semmel was already catapulted into the first ranks of my personal best of list of blog recipes. And I planed directly to make a second version with preferment. And took me a while to come back to this plan but finally I bake them. I choose a preferment which enhance the gluten structure, a sweet starter or its cousin, which is made with commercial yeast – a Biga. And I opted for diastatic malt as I wanted to make the crust very crisp. This makes the recipe unsuitable for a cold overnight proof – a reason why I always shied away from diastatic malt before – a mistake as I knew now! The crust gains a lot through the enzymatic processes due to the malt, it is crisp but easier to bite at the same time. I get a better volume and fluffiger crust then the last time, too.

Helga, a reader from Kiel, suggested some changes in the form and gave me some advices on the intensity of the cinnamon flavour. I decided to use cylon cinnamon, which has a more subtle and complex flavour then the warm, but more acerbic and blunt flavour of Cassia. I added one gramm to the butter which yields a slight cinnamon note.  If you prefer a stronger cinnamon taste I would double this amount.

At the end, I have not to emphasise that I’m in love with this rolls, have I? They are maybe the most perfect rolls I bake (until now)!

Kieler Semmeln

yields 9 rolls

Sweet Starter

• 100g Sweet Starter
• 100g flour Type 550
• 50g Water

Dough

• Sweet Starter (or Biga, see belo)
• 340g flour Type 550
• 205g  Water
• 20g egg yolk (from 1 egg size L)
• 20g Butter
• 5g diastatic Malt
• 10g fresh yeast
• 10g Salt

For Rubbing

• 25g Butter
• 1.5g Salt
• 1-2g Cylon Cinnamon

Mix the ingredients of the sweet starter and let it rise for 4 hours at 30°C.

Knead all ingredients for 5 min at slow speed. Then knead 10 min at fast speed. The dough should be now soft, but not sticky.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour at room temperature.

Divide the dough into 95g portions. Flatten the dough a little bit and start to fold the dough in the middle. Repeat until a ball has formed.  Cover and let rest for 10 min.

In the meantime mix butter, cinnamon and salt for rubbing and spread half of the butter on the countertop.

Place one of the preformed rolls on the butter and lay your hand on the dough. Start to circle your hand fast while bending the hand slowly, to create tension on the dough. On the bottom, a little hole will form. To enhance the rubbing effect, repeat this on a not buttered part of the countertop. Press the rolls a bit down and place them with the fatty side facing down on a slightly floured couche.

Proof for 60 min.

Preheat the oven to 250°C.

Turn the rolls, so that the fatty side is upside, and place them on a paper lined baking tray. Mist with water and bake with steam for about 25 min at 225°C. For really crisp rolls turn to convection mode during the last 5 min.

Biga Variant: If you want to use a biga instead of a sweet starter, mix 165 g flour Type 550, 80g water and 1g of fresh yeast. Let the biga ferment in the fridge for at least 16 hours.