question for Wisconsin bakers :)

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Hi,
My husband is of German descent from Wisconsin specifically the Sheboygan area. He fondly speaks of something called Hard Rolls, and apparently they are not what I would presume by the name. According to him they are something like a large "chewy" hamburger bun and used for hamburgers and "Steak Samichs" . . . ok so what the heck is this? anyone have a recipe? according to him we have nothing of the sort out here in the North West. If it helps, he says they are soft but "chewy" and have a split down the middle . . .
I would like to surprise him and make some if anyone can help.

 

[the troll]

I have never made them so I don't have any pointer, but I sure love eating them. Good luck


Sheboygan Hard Rolls (there is really only one recipe for them on all of the internet, repeated in a couple places)
-4 1/2 cups bread flour (approximate)
-1 package dry yeast
-1 Tablespoon sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups hot water (120-130 degrees)
-1 teaspoon malt extract
-1 egg
-1 egg white
-1 Tablespoon shortening
-Rye flour for dusting

1. Measure 3 1/2 cups of flour into a mixing or mixer bowl and add the yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir to blend well. Pour in the warm water and malt extract. Mix for 1 minute with a wooden spoon or mixer flat beater until a smooth but heavy batter forms.

2. Add the egg, egg white, and shortening. Beat together until the mixture is smooth. If with the electric mixer, remove the flat beater and continue with a dough hook. Add flour -- 1/4 cup at a time -- until the dough is a solid but soft mass that can be lifted from the bowl, or left under the dough hook.

3. Knead the dough with a strong push-turn-fold motion for 10 minutes, adding liberal sprinkles of flour if the dough is wet. If in the mixer, the dough will clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball around the dough hook. If, however, it continues to cling to the sides, add sprinkles of flour.

4. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to double in bulk, about 1 hour.

5. Uncover the bowl and punch down the dough with your fingers. Cover the bowl again and allow the dough to double in volume again, about 45 minutes.

6. Place the dough on a floured work surface, roll it into a 12-inch long cylinder. With a sharp knife cut 12 pieces from the length (at every inch on the ruler).

7. Shape the pieces under a cupped palm into smooth rounds. Cover and allow to relax for 5 minutes. (**NOTE: If you want to do like I did in the photo below, this is when you want to do it.**)


I put some chocolate in one of the rolls upon Greg's musing "I wonder why nobody ever makes a Chocolate Hard Roll. You know, like a croissant." It was a very good idea.


8. Flatten each roll with your hand to about 1/2 inch thick. Dust lightly with rye flour. With a length of wooden dowel, a round wooden spoon handle, or a pencil, press a deep vertical indentation into the top of each roll. Press firmly and deeply, almost to the bottom (omit this procedure if shaping rolls into single-brat buns). As each roll is shaped, place it face down on a greased baking sheet.

9. Cover the rolls with a length of wax or parchment paper, and leave them at room temperature to rise -- slightly less than double in size, about 40 minutes.

10. In the meantime, prepare the oven by placing a pan under the middle shelf. Twenty minutes before the bake period preheat the oven to 450 degrees, quite hot. Five minutes before the rolls are to go into the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water in the pan to form steam and provide a moist environment for the rolls. Be certain hot water is in the pan.

11. Uncover the rolls, carefully turn them right side up, brush them with water or spray lightly with an atomizer of water.

12. Place the pan on the middle shelf of the hot oven. Three minutes later lightly spray the interior of the oven -- not directly on the rolls.

13. Midway through the bake period turn the sheet around so that the rolls are exposed equally to temperature variations in the oven. They are done when crispy brown all over, in about 25 minutes.

14. Remove the rolls from the oven. If, after the rolls have cooled, they are not as crisp and crusty as you like, put them back into a hot oven for 10 minutes.

Verdict: These are not the exact rolls you would get if purchasing them from a store or bakery in Sheboygan. Those rolls are typically very light and airy with a crisp crust. The rolls I made were chewy inside with a crisp crust, but they were FAR more dense and substantial than the rolls found in Sheboygan. I'm not sure if that's due to the amount of flour I had to add to make the dough non-sticky enough to knead, my lack of a baking stone, or what. BUT, Gus, Greg and I all give them an enthusiastic two thumbs up! Gus went on at some length about how they were the best brat buns he's ever had, and if I could make them again sometime, and Greg told me about how they're not the same as the Sheboygan ones, but that he liked these even better. Hooray!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

wow! you are the best!
lol, our sons's name is Gus (Gustave), considered highly unusual out here!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

lol, um since your here . . . could you define "steak samich" and the homemade (?) "grey" mustard that is served on the tables . . . and while your at it WHY does he say yah yah??? and oh ohhhh oh??? lol!!!

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

My husband says "samich" too . . . that's so funny.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

lol, that is funny because NO ONE says it out here. The kids get a big laugh out of having him say "put the coke in the bag" . . . put the cooooke in tha beg. I swear they have vowels there we have not heard of out here! any clue what makes these "steak samichs" so great? other than being Hard Rolls?

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
That recipe looks great...I'm going to save it and give it a try this week for our meatball subs. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Please do share, I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for you as I am such an inexperienced baker! I'm wondering if I can do part of this in my new and much loved bread machine . . .

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
I make all our bread and I use my bread machine to make all my dough. It's a 30 minute drive to the nearest grocery store and it's just a lot easier to throw the ingredient into the bread machine and then use the dough to make whatever I need.

The only thing I would do differently is I always let my dough rest before I knead it. I mix the ingredients together well then turn the bread machine off for 1 hour and let the ingredients hydrate. Then I turn my machine back on and let the dough knead. Then I remove the dough to a larger container for the rise and let it rise for 1 hour. Then make my loaf, buns or whatever.

If your in a rush you can skip the first 1 hour rest and just make the dough, let it rise in the machine and form the bread. But the extra time and steps will give you a much better bread.

 

[Wifezilla]

I used to love those "sammich hard rolls". Then I moved to Colorado near a german deli and discovered Pretzel brotchen (aka Laugen Brothcen)

Of course with my wheat issues, I don't eat either anymore, but you might want to try the pretzel brotchen some time. My hubby is german (as in his mom is from germany) and he really loves those too.
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=886955

Here is one more that might do the trick
http://germanfood.about.com/od/regularbreadandrolls/r/Lean-German-Broetchen.htm