Brötchen - homemade bun

Back to Germany for vacation

It is the family bonding time. I love to bake at home. This time, I try to bake Brötchen which is known as bread bun.

Cooking time

Autolyse: 30 mins Stretch and fold: every 2-3 times during 2 hours Cold fermentation: overnight Bench rest and shaping: 15 mins Final Proofing: 1-2 hours Baking: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

Qty	Unit	Name of ingredients
150	Gram	Rye Sourdough starter (strong/fed)
250	Ml	Water
500	Gram	Bread flour typ 550
30	Ml	Oil
1 1/2	Tsp	Salt

Method

1.	Mix starter with water until the starter dissolved.
2.	Add flour. Mix it well. If it is too sticky, please add 1 tbsp flour. Let it autolyse 30 minutes in the bowl.
3.	Add salt into the dough. Mix it well by stretch and fold it.
5.	Grease a bowl with little oil. Place the dough into the bowl. During bulk fermentation of 2 hours, every 30 minutes do the stretch and fold for 2 times.
6.	Cover the bowl with wet towel and place it overnight in the chiller/fridge.
7.	The next morning, the dough will be double in volume. Bring it out to the room temperature for 10 minutes
8.	Sprinkle flour on counter top. Place the dough on top of it and divide the dough into equal amount (6-8 pieces).
9.	Shape the dough into ball and place it on a flour-dusted baking tray/mat with baking paper.
10.	Proof the dough for 1-2 hour. It will be double in volume.  Check it by poking it with the indent finger. The poke springs back slowly, it is ready to bake.
11.	Pre-heat the oven with 220 C.  Prepare a pan with 50-75 ml water and place it on the bottom of the oven to give extra moisturizer/steam to the dough. Score the dough with razor or sharp knife. Place the baking tray into the oven.  Bake it in the oven at 200 C for the first 10 minutes with the water bath/steamer.  Bread dough as it is placed in the oven Bread dough baked with water bath after 10 minutes After 10 minutes, take out the water bath and bake it for another 20-30 minutes until it is golden brown.  Bread bun after 40 minutes baking
12.	Transfer the baked bun on cooling rack before slicing it. Slice it after the bread cooling down for 1-2 hours.