The name “Neujährchen” is used in different regions of Germany for a wide variety of bread and pastry baked for new years eve or new years mornig.  This variant stems from the Westerwald. I stumbled about it when I researched recipes for Neujährchen from the rhineland. I was fascinated by the dark crust which is archived by glazing them with cold coffee. And I was thrilled by the interesting mixture of spices and the fact that it is baked with a good amount of rye flour. The  dough is mixed with a generous amount of butter, too, which is rather seldom for rye bread. The mixture of spices seems to vary from village to village. Adding Pepper and cinnamon seems to be common everywhere, but if anise or clove or both is used is different from recipe to recipe. As I do not like anise very much, the decision for my recipe variant was an easy one.

The hearty mixture of spice makes the rolls special, but very delicious. They taste great with honey, but would go as well with a mild goat cheese and some cranberry jam, too.

Westerwälder Neujährchen

yields 11 rolls

Rye poolish

• 125g whole rye flour
• 250g Milk
• 0,5g fresh yeast

Dough

• Rye poolish
• 250g flourType 550
• 125g whole rye flour
• 80g Water
• 50g Egg (1 Egg Size M)
• 3g Pepper
• 1g clove or anise
• 3g cinnamon
• 15g sugar
• 9g fresh yeast
• 10g Salt
• 125g Butter

Glazing

• 75g strong coffe
• 10g molasse(optional)

Mix the ingredients for the poolish and let it rise by room temperature for about 12-14 hours.

For the dough knead all ingredients  but butter for about 8 min at slow speed. Add the butter in small pieces and knead until well combined.

Let rise for 60 min.

Flatten the dough to a thickness of about 2 cm. Use a dessert ring or water glas (7,5 cm diameter) to cut dough discs. Prick the sureface with a fork.

Proof for 120 min.

Glaze with a mixture of coffee and molasse.

Bake at 250°C for 16-17 min

Glaze while still hot again with the mixture of coffee and molasse.