Kummelweck Food

BEEF ON WECK

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients except the topping, mixing to form a shaggy dough.
• Knead the dough, by hand or by machine, for 10 minutes. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then knead for an additional 10 minutes, until it's smooth and supple.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rest for 1 hour; it'll become quite puffy, though it may not double in bulk. You may also use your bread machine, set on the Dough cycle, to prepare the dough to this point.
• Divide the dough into six 3 1/4-ounce (92g) pieces, and shape them into smooth, slightly flattened rounds. Place them on a baking sheet, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until they're good and puffy.
• While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Brush the rolls with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle lightly (or not) with the topping. Bake them for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack; they're best served the same day they're made, though they do reheat nicely. Freeze for up to 1 month.
• TO MAKE A BEEF ON WECK SANDWICH
• Warm the au jus sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the roast beef and let it warm up at the same time.
• Carefully dip the top bun in the au jus. Not a dunk or anything, just enough to moisten the part that will come into contact with the roast beef.
• Pile the beef on the bottom bun, slightly higher than you think you should. Beef on Weck is all about go big or go home.
• Serve the sliced beef on the rolls with the au jus and horseradish on the side.

BEEF ON WECK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Warm the au jus sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the roast beef and let it warm up at the same time. While the meat is soaking, place the rolls on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Brush the tops lightly with water and sprinkle with salt and caraway seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are toasted, about 10 minutes. Serve the sliced beef on the rolls with the au jus and horseradish on the side.

ROAST BEEF ON WECK

Steps:

• Combine equal parts coarse salt and whole caraway seed. Store in clean jar. Heat 1 cup water to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water and add to boiled water. Return to a boil and thicken until it coats a spoon. Cool and store in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make kummelweck rolls, take 12 rolls and place on baking sheet. Brush top of rolls with cornstarch solution and sprinkle with seed mixture. Place in oven for 4 minutes or until kummelweck dries.
• For the Beef on Weck: Heat au jus in saucepan until simmering. Dip sliced roast beef in hot au jus and place on cut kummelweck roll. Top with a dollop of horseradish and dip the top of the roll in the au jus.

KIMMELWECK ROLLS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water in a small bowl; set aside to proof about 5 minutes.
• Combine the remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water, the oil, sugar, salt, barley malt syrup or honey, and 1 egg white in a large mixing bowl.
• Stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Add 1-1/2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth; add yeast mixture and add in additional 1 1/2 cups flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky to the touch, adding only as much additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
• Transfer to a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature to rise until doubled (about an hour).
• Punch the dough down, cover the bowl again, and let the dough rise a second time, for about 30 minutes.
• Return the dough to the work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
• Shape each piece into a smooth round, then flatten the rounds slightly.
• Place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet, well spaced to allow spreading.
• Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F
• Combine the remaining egg white and the 1 tablespoons water in a small dish and blend.
• Brush the rolls lightly with the egg white wash.
• Score 4 crescent-shaped slits into each roll with a very sharp knife, radiating out from the center.
• Sprinkle the rolls with the coarse salt and caraway seeds and sprinkle with water.
• Bake for 5 minutes.
• Quickly open the oven door, sprinkle the rolls again with water, and close the oven.
• Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes more, until browned and crisp.
• Cool the rolls on wire racks.
• **For a Vienna Loaf:
• Follow the recipe directions for rolls with the following exceptions: After the second rise, divide the dough in half and shape each half into an oval with tapered ends.
• After the final rise, apply the egg wash and cut a 1/2" deep slit down the top of each loaf; omit the salt and caraway sprinkle, if desired.
• Bake in 400°F oven, baking for about 30 minutes more after the second spray with water (for a total of 35 minutes).
• **For Salt and Pepper Sticks: Follow the recipe directions with the following exceptions: Omit the second rise.
• Divide the dough into 13 equal pieces, roll each piece out into a 12" rope of even thickness, and space the ropes 1-1/2" apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• After the final rise, apply the egg wash, but do not make any cuts into the do dough; sprinkle with coarse sea salt crystals and coarsely ground or cracked black pepper instead of with salt crystals and caraway seeds.
• Do not spritz with water.
• Bake for about 18 minutes.

KUMMELWECK (KIMMELWECK) ROLLS & A VEGETARIAN WECK SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix together the warm water and the warm milk and stir in the yeast. Let it sit aside for about 5 minutes. Knead by hand or with the machine. In the bowl of your machine, combine the yeast mixture, oil, honey, the egg white and stir.
• Now add the salt and about 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead, adding as much more flour as required till you have a smooth and elastic dough that is tacky but not sticky. Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover loosely with cling film and let rise for about an hour, until it is almost double in volume.
• Deflate the dough well (not kneading), shape into a round and and allow it to rise, covered, for 30 minutes more.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball, then slightly flatten it. Place them on lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Spray or lightly brush with oil, loosely cover and let the dough rise for 30 more minutes. Brush with egg-wash (or something else that will make sure the topping sticks when baking), then cut slits ( like an +) on the top using a sharp blade or scissors.
• Sprinkle the top of the rolls with sea salt and caraway seeds, and then mist with water. Bake the rolls at 220C (425F) for 5 minutes and then quickly mist with water again making sure you don't keep the oven door open for too long.
• Bake for another 20 minutes or so until they're brown and done. Cool on a wire rack. This recipe makes 8 large burger bun sized rolls.

CHEF JOHN'S KUMMELWECK ROLLS

Steps:

• Whisk 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons oil, 1 egg white, sugar, salt, and honey into yeast mixture; whisk until smooth. Gradually add flour to yeast mixture while mixer is running with the dough hook attached; knead until a soft, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drizzle remaining vegetable oil into the bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover the bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten dough, and press into rectangle. Cut dough into 12 pieces and form pieces into rolls. Place rolls 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Whisk 1 egg white and 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl. Use kitchen shears to cut an X at the top of each roll. Brush rolls with egg white mixture and sprinkle with caraway seeds and salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.