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Traditional German Bread Rolls (Brötchen)

Oma Gerhild

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust—rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

Published: August 1, 2016, Updated: April 20, 2025

This brötchen (German Bread Rolls) recipe brings the beloved bakery staple to your kitchen. Soft inside, crisp outside, and perfect with any meal!

German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen are the BEST thing next to sliced bread!Always fun to make German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen! They are the BEST thing next to sliced bread! Give it a go! Make them just like Oma!

Looking for a German bread rolls recipe that's reminiscent of the Brötchen you had in Germany?

Take a look at these tasty German bread rolls. They are so similar to Oma's!

If there's one German food that's missed by almost everyone who has been in Germany and the one recipe that's always requested, it's this Brotchen recipe.

Oma's Recipe Rundown

  • Ease of Making: Straightforward with a bread machine or mixer; minimal hands-on time.
  • Taste: Soft, fluffy interior with a delightfully crisp crust, just like in Germany.
  • Time: Approximately 3 hours, including rising and baking.
  • Best Served With: Butter and jam for breakfast, alongside soups, or filled with meats and cheeses for sandwiches.

Top Tips For Best Results

  1. Check Dough Consistency: After the initial mixing, ensure the dough isn't sticking to the sides. If it is, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft, tacky ball.
  2. Shape Like a Pro: To form smooth rolls, place each dough piece in one hand and gently pull the edges into the center, pinching to seal.
  3. Create Steam for Crust: Place a cup of ice cubes in a pan at the bottom of the oven during baking to produce steam, resulting in a crispier crust.
  4. Gluten-Free Swap: Use a gluten-free flour blend designed for yeast baking.
  5. Freshness Tip: These rolls are best enjoyed fresh but can be frozen and reheated to regain their crusty exterior

And, I've made it really easy by using my bread maker. Just 15 minutes prep time and ready in 3 hours. WUNDERBAR! Check the IMPORTANT hints below before you start the recipe!!!

(Don't have a bread machine? Don't despair. You can use your electric mixer instead. Check out the recipe card below … I'll let you know what to do.)

IMPORTANT:  Hint #1

Check the dough a few minutes after the bread machine starts kneading. If it sticks to the sides, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it pulls away cleanly.

The exact amount can vary depending on the brand of flour, humidity, and altitude. I check every time I use the bread machine. Sometimes extra flour is needed, sometimes not.

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IMPORTANT:  Hint #2

Once the dough has risen, lightly flour your work surface. If you've made artisan bread before, the dough will feel familiar.

Keep extra flour nearby. Be gentle. Fold the dough over a few times, then shape it into a log and cut into 12 equal pieces.

On the floured counter, gently form each piece into a ball. Flour your hands as needed, using just enough to prevent sticking.

For a smooth top, place a dough ball in one hand and use the other to pull the edges inward, pinching in the center. You can also shape it directly on the counter.

It takes a bit of practice, but the result is well worth it.

German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen, fit perfectly with any meal!German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen, fit perfectly with any meal!

Taste Like German Brötchen?

No, they're not identical, but they're wonderfully close and make us happy.

Why the difference? German flour and fresh yeast are hard to find, and traditional brötchen take a lot of time. (And even the water makes a difference.)

Can you make the real deal? Yes, with the right ingredients and patience. But I wanted something easy, quick, and still delicious ... and this recipe delivers.

Another Brötchen Recipe

For a recipe that's made totally without a bread machine and with a bit of a different method, check out Heidi's Brötchen recipe for crusty rolls.

Depending which part of Germany you are from, these are known by various names... brötchen (a diminutive of brot meaning bread), semmel, schrippe, rundstück, or weck, weckle, weckli, or wecken.

However, they are all known for being WUNDERBAR

Step by step, making German Bread Rolls aka BrötchenStep by step, making German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen. Oh, so fun to make!

Leftover Brötchen?

These German buns taste best fresh, just like in Germany, where brötchen are bought daily since the crust doesn't stay crisp for long.

  • Got leftovers? Lightly spray with water and pop into a 425°F oven for a few minutes to revive the crunch.
  • They freeze well too. Thaw, mist with water, and reheat the same way
  • Or, you can always make bread dumplings!

Oma's Traditional Brötchen – German Bread Rolls

​This brötchen (German bread rolls) recipe brings the beloved bakery staple to your kitchen. Soft inside, crisp outside, and perfect with any meal!​

Prep Time:

3 hours

Bake Time:

20 minutes

Total Time:

3 hours 20 minutes

Servings:

12 servings

Ingredients:

For the dough:

  • 1¼ cups (300 milliliters) lukewarm water
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
  • 1½ teaspoon (6 grams) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (14 grams) soft butter (room temperature)
  • 3½ cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra if needed
  • 1 tablespoon (10 grams) instant yeast

For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg white 
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) milk

For baking:

  • 1 cup (about 150 grams) ice cubes

Instructions:

  1. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
  2. Put all bread dough ingredients, starting with 3½ cups of the flour, into the bread machine pan. (Follow manufacturer's recommended order.)
  3. Set the bread machine to the DOUGH setting. This will take about 1½ hours.
  4. NOTE: After the first few minutes, check that the dough isn't sticking to the sides and has formed a ball. If the dough is sticking, add a tablespoon of flour and let it knead; gradually add more if needed. The dough will be tacky, but should come together without sticking to the pan. 
  5. When dough is ready, remove it from the bread machine.
  6. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently fold it several times. The dough will be very soft. If it’s too sticky, dust with a little more flour.
  7. Form into a roll, about 12 to 16 inches long, and then cut into 12 equal parts.
  8. Form each piece into a smooth ball by placing it into one hand. With the other fingers, pull up the outside edges and pinch into the middle several times, dusting fingers with flour if needed.
  9. Place each of the small balls, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
  10. Fifteen minutes before baking, set oven temperature to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Place an empty baking tray on the bottom rack.
  11. When oven is hot, gently brush rolls with egg wash (mix 1 egg white with 2 tablespoons milk). Cut a fairly deep slash in top of each roll with very sharp knife or lame blade.
  12. Place rolls on the middle rack of the preheated oven and immediately place 1 cup of ice cubes on the hot baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.
  13. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully open oven door slightly to let any steam escape. Close the door and continue baking for another 3 to 5 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
  14. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for about ½ hour before serving.

Notes/Hints for Making Without Bread Machine:

  • If you don’t have a bread machine, you can make this bread rolls recipe with your mixer instead. When making yeast doughs, ingredients are usually added in a certain order. Since ingredients are added all at once to a bread machine, I mimic what the machine does and do the following:
  • Using my mixer with a dough hook, I put all the ingredients into the large mixing bowl, starting with the 3½ cups flour. Turn it on low for 2 minutes and then onto medium speed to knead for another 5 to 10 minutes until it no longer sticks to the side of the bowl and forms a ball.
  • Make sure the dough isn’t too sticky. If it is, add one tablespoon of flour at a time. The dough should be a bit tacky. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise about 1 hour or until it has about doubled in size.
  • Continue with the above recipe from where the dough is removed from the bread machine.

More Notes/Hints :

  • The amount of flour depends on things like the brand, humidity, altitude, etc. Whenever I use the bread machine for any baking or dough-making, I always check the dough after the first few minutes of kneading to see if extra flour is needed. Sometimes it’s needed, but other times not.
  • If desired, sprinkle the rolls with oats or seeds (such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds) right after you brush them with the egg wash.
  • If you’re adventuresome, you can add a bit of diastatic malt powder. Don’t add more than 1 teaspoon though. This powder is considered the secret ingredient to promote a strong rise, great texture, and a lovely brown crust. However, if you add too much, things can get very sticky very quickly.
  • Another bread maker recipe? Try this rye bread recipe!

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe updated: April 20, 2025

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German Bread Rolls aka Brötchen are both easy, and tasty!

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