Squishy, Oversized Kaiser Rolls for Beginners

5 from 15 votes

Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— February 5, 2025 (updated June 5, 2026) — 28 Comments

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Behold — a same-day recipe for homemade kaiser rolls that I have obsessively tested until absolutely perfect! These are soft, fresh kaiser buns that are so perfect for breakfast or deli sandwiches and burgers. My recipe is great for both beginner and seasoned bread bakers, with three different roll-shaping methods included for making knotted, scored or stamped rolls. Yield: 6 rolls.

six kaiser rolls on a black wire cooling rack. — Plush, oversized Kaiser rolls reporting for duty!

5-STAR READER REVIEW

“These were great!! Totally doable even without a stand mixer, and I took the easy route of making balls and scoring them for my first try. Next time I'll do the fun knots!”
—Isabelle

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Kaiser rolls originated in Austria, likely at some point in the late 1700s, but I know them mostly for being some of the best-ever rolls for breakfast sandwiches (a bacon egg and cheese on a Kaiser roll is an elite sandwich combo imo) and for making all sorts of deli sandwiches (you must try hot pastrami with melty Swiss cheese on a Kaiser roll).

Kaiser rolls are generally an oversized roll with a soft, dense, uniform crumb inside and a slightly flaky, slightly crusty outside thanks to a milk wash before baking. I like a softer, paler golden brown crust on my Kaiser rolls, but if you like yours darker or with a crisper, harder crust you can add 3-5 minutes to the bake time.

There are many different ways to shape Kaiser rolls: knotting, scoring, and stamping are the three I've included here so you can choose which method works best for you. Some people use a folding technique to create the signature curved petal shape on top but since I haven't personally been able to make that work I didn't include it here.

a round kaiser roll split in half on a black wire cooling rack.

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Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this recipe! See recipe card (at the end of the blog post) for ingredient quantities.

all the ingredients for kaiser rolls measured out and labeled.

Kaiser Rolls are often topped with dried minced onion (that's what I use) but you can also use sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even my simple everything bagel seasoning if you prefer!

How to Make Kaiser Roll Dough

To make this Kaiser roll recipe, start by whisking together all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a well in the center, then pour in the warm water and olive oil. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. First you will mix the dough, then you will knead it.

the dough mixed into a rough ball around the dough hook in the mixer bowl.

Mix the dough just until it comes together in one shaggy mass on the dough hook.

the smooth dough ball wrapped around the dough hook in the mixer bowl.

Knead the dough to develop a strong, smooth texture and gluten network.

Tuck the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, covered, and set it aside to rise until it doubles in size.

the dough tucked into a ball in a metal mixing bowl. it takes up about half the bowl. — Before rising

the dough ball in a metal mixing bowl after rising. it takes up about ¾ of the bowl. — Doubled in size

NOTE: You can place the dough back in your mixer bowl to rise to avoid making extra dishes, I used a wider metal bowl because it photographed better.

Shaping Knotted Kaiser Rolls

Work on an unfloured surface and refrain from dusting the dough with flour while you're rolling it out — flour will make the rope slide around on the counter instead of elongating.

two hands rolling a rope of dough. three dough balls are sitting nearby.

On an unfloured surface, roll the dough into a long rope. Avoid tapering the ends so the rope is an even thickness.

two hands dusted with flour facing up over the long rope of dough.

Once the rope is long enough, dust your hands with flour and give the rope one more roll. This keeps the dough from sticking to itself as you knot it.

two hands making a loose single knot in the center of the dough rope.

Create a loose single knot, leaving some extra space in the loop. You'll now have two "tail" ends of dough, one of which pokes through the middle.

two hands wrapping the ends of the knotted dough around through the loop one more time.

Take the tail end of the knot that's poking through the middle of the loop and wrap it around the loop one more time so it pokes through the middle again.

Wrap the tail end of the dough that's sticking out from underneath the loop around to the front and join it together with the tail sticking through the middle of the loop.

pinching the two loose tail ends of the rope together in the middle of the loop to seal them together. — Pinch the two ends of the rope together.

a knotted kaiser roll. — Tah-dah! A wild knotted Kaiser roll appears.

If this sounds confusing, I do recommend watching the video at the end of this blog post to see how it's done! It was tricky to photograph and hard to describe but it's a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it, I swear.

a sheet pan being placed on top of the plastic-covered shaped kaiser rolls. — Place a sheet pan on top of the plastic to weigh the rolls down as they rise.

Let the Kaiser rolls rise at room temperature until quite puffy and almost doubled in size. Immediately before baking, brush the rolls with milk and sprinkle generously with the dried minced onion.

Shaping Scored or Stamped Kaiser Rolls

If you don't want to fuss with knotting your Kaiser rolls, you can shape the dough into balls instead and score them before baking. Wait to score them until right before they go into the oven!

To create the traditional Kaiser roll design, score 5-6 arc-shaped lines from the center out. Cut at least ¼" to ½" deep — these deep cuts will allow the rolls to expand properly in the oven.

a hand cupped around a smooth ball of dough. — Divide and shape the dough into balls.

six kaiser rolls on a parchment lined sheet pan. a hand uses a sharp lame to cut arcing lines in one of the round rolls. — Use a lame to score the rolls.

You can also use a Kaiser roll stamp, which is exactly what it sounds like: It's a plastic stamp that creates the signature curved design on the top of the rolls.

To use a Kaiser roll stamp, first brush the rolls with the milk wash, then press the stamp down firmly into the top of the dough. You don't want to cut all the way through, but you do want the stamp to make a significant impression. Finally, sprinkle them with the dried minced onion and pop them in the oven.

Ateco Kaiser Roll Stamp

Made of dishwasher safe, high-impact plastic. Dimensions: 3.5 inches diameter.

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close up of kaiser rolls in a clear plastic bread bag.

a baked knotted kaiser roll on a black wire cooling rack.

💭 Have More Baking Questions?

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Ingredient swaps and FAQs
Why my recipes are written in grams and not cups
How to quickly bring eggs and butter to room temperature
Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
Step-by-step guides for bread and baking techniques

See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!

📖 Recipe

four kaiser rolls on a black wire cooling rack.

Easy Kaiser Rolls for Beginners (and 3 Ways to Shape Them!)

Servings rolls

Author Rebecca Eisenberg

Behold — a same-day recipe for homemade Kaiser rolls that has been obsessively tested and perfected by me! Friends, the result is soft, fresh, and lightly browned Kaiser buns perfect for sandwiches and burgers. My recipe is great for beginner and seasoned bread bakers with different roll shaping methods shared, including knotted, scored or stamped.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Resting Time 2

Total Time 2 40

Recipe Notes

If the round rolls have puffed up into round, domed tops in the oven, you can place a sheet pan on top of them immediately after removing them from the oven to deflate them slightly into a flatter burger bun shape. Don't press down on the sheet pan, the weight of the pan alone is enough.
If using a Kaiser roll stamp, brush the rolls with milk, then stamp the tops, then sprinkle with onion topping. If the stamp is sticking or not pulling away cleanly from the dough, spray it with non-stick spray before each use.
For a darker or crisper, harder Kaiser roll add 3-5 minutes to the bake time.
You can knead this Kaiser roll dough by hand, but I find it's a little stickier than I like to handle. Add about 3-5 mins to the kneading time and try not to add too much flour as you work. Just enough to prevent sticking.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 6-7 days. They may be a little dry by the end of that window, but will bounce back when toasted.
To freeze: Slice them in half almost all the way through, wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap, then place in a large bag in the freezer with as much air pressed out as possible. They can go right in the toaster oven from frozen or you can defrost on the counter at room temperature, then pop in the oven at 350°F for 5-7 mins to perk them back up.
If you prefer smaller Kaiser rolls, divide the dough into seven (~144g each) or even eight (~126g each) portions instead of six.

Ingredients

DOUGH

600 grams all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
15 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
10 grams sugar
6 grams instant yeast
360 grams water (90°F)
30 grams olive oil

TOPPINGS

1-2 teaspoons milk
1-2 teaspoons dried minced onion (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning will also work)

Instructions

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Mix. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water and olive oil. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the dough comes together in one shaggy, messy mass on the dough hook. This can take a few minutes, be patient. Pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to.
Knead. On low speed, knead for 5 minutes until the dough smooths out but is still a little sticky to the touch. Scrape down the dough hook, flip the dough over in the bowl, and knead 3-5 minutes more. The dough will still be a little sticky but should look smoother.
First Rise. Tuck the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl (you can use your mixer bowl). If the dough sticks to your hands too much, you can lightly grease them to make it easier to handle. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.
If your kitchen is cold, place it somewhere nice and warm to rise, otherwise it may need an extra 30 mins or so.
Divide. Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces (about 168g each).
Shape a knot. Roll a 20" rope of dough (no fancy pre-shaping required). Do not taper the ends. Dust your hands lightly with flour and give the rope a quick roll — the flour will keep it from sticking to itself while you shape it. Create a loop in the middle of the rope, crossing the two ends over each other. Thread one end of the rope through the middle of the loop, leaving some space in the loop. Take the end of the rope that is poking through the middle and wrap it around the loop again so it pokes back through the middle. Then, take the other end of the rope and wrap it around the front of the loop, pushing it through the middle to pinch it together with the other end of the rope so the joined ends are tucked inside. (See video below if this is confusing!)
If shaping rolls to score or stamp, knead or shape each piece of dough into a tight ball with the seam tucked underneath. Score or stamp the rolls immediately before baking, after brushing with milk and sprinkling with minced onion.
Second Rise. Spray the tops of the rolls lightly with non-stick spray. Cover with plastic wrap, and place a sheet pan on top to weigh them down as they rise until doubled in size and quite puffy, 1-1½ hours. The weight of the sheet pan will force them to rise outward rather than upward.
Preheat to 400°F. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Toppings. Immediately before baking, brush the Kaiser rolls all over with milk, then sprinkle with dried minced onion. If doing round rolls, use a sharp knife or lame to score 5-6 lines arcing out from the center of each roll, about ½" deep. If stamping your Kaiser buns, do so now.
Bake. Bake the Kaiser rolls for 18-20 minutes until pale golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheet pan 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

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