Kaiser roll
Encyclopedia
The Kaiser roll, also called a Vienna roll or a hard roll (original name: Semmel or Kaisersemmel; if made by hand also: Handsemmel), is a kind of bread roll
, invented in Vienna
, and thought to have been named to honor Emperor Franz Joseph
. It is a typically crusty round roll made from flour, barm
, malt, water and salt, with the top side usually divided in a rotationally symmetric pattern of five segments, separated by curved superficial cuts radiating from the centre outwards. Kaiser rolls are often produced by machine, as well as by hand.
Kaiser rolls are traditionally found in Austria
, but have also become popular in other countries, such as the United States
, Poland
, Canada
, Slovenia
, Croatia
, Italy
, and Germany
. Italian bakers, during the Austrian domination in Lombardy
, produced a hollow version known as michetta
or rosetta.
, sesame seeds, pumpkin kernels, linseed or sunflower-seed. It is often used as a bun
for sandwiches, including hamburgers, or containing a slice of Leberkäse
, but the most popular form is with slices of Extrawurst
and pickled gherkins (Wurstsemmel) or with a type of Wiener Schnitzel
(Schnitzelsemmel). It is also a main part of a typical Austrian breakfast, usually with butter and jam.
Bread roll
A bread roll is a piece of bread, usually small and round and is commonly considered a side dish. Bread rolls are often used in the same way as sandwiches are—cut transversely, with fillings placed between the two halves.-Various forms:...
, invented in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and thought to have been named to honor Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. It is a typically crusty round roll made from flour, barm
Barm
Barm cake is type of bun with flour on top. It has a characteristically strong flavour that comes from the traditional barm leaven made from a natural leaven with the addition of hops. However, the Barm Cake is more likely made from commercial yeast today....
, malt, water and salt, with the top side usually divided in a rotationally symmetric pattern of five segments, separated by curved superficial cuts radiating from the centre outwards. Kaiser rolls are often produced by machine, as well as by hand.
Kaiser rolls are traditionally found in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, but have also become popular in other countries, such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Italian bakers, during the Austrian domination in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, produced a hollow version known as michetta
Michetta
Michetta is an Italian white bread, recognizable from its hollow, bulged shape.Other similarly prepared types of Italian breads include the maggiolino and tartaruga.-History:...
or rosetta.
Variations
Rolls similar to the Kaiser roll (which always is plain) but different in size, type of flour used and often not handmade are sometimes sprinkled on top with poppy seedsPoppy Seeds
Poppy Seeds, released in 1971, was the second and final studio album from Vancouver, British Columbia band The Poppy Family. The album has yet to be released on modern formats and remains a rare vinyl....
, sesame seeds, pumpkin kernels, linseed or sunflower-seed. It is often used as a bun
Bun
A bun is a small, usually sweet, bread. Commonly they are hand-sized or smaller, domed in shape, with a flat bottom. A bun can also be a savory bread roll similar to a bap or barmcake....
for sandwiches, including hamburgers, or containing a slice of Leberkäse
Leberkäse
is a specialty food found in the south of Germany, in Austria and parts of Switzerland, similar to bologna sausage...
, but the most popular form is with slices of Extrawurst
Extrawurst
Extrawurst can be either a type of sausage or part of a German idiomatic expression.- Sausage type :Extrawurst is a type of Austrian scalded sausage. It is moist, light coloured, fine textured and made from a well-spiced mixture of beef, pork and bacon fat...
and pickled gherkins (Wurstsemmel) or with a type of Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel
Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinned with a mallet , coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a popular part of Viennese, Austrian cuisine and German Cuisine...
(Schnitzelsemmel). It is also a main part of a typical Austrian breakfast, usually with butter and jam.