This is for Sandy Krause and her search for 'little German breads'. Having
visited Munich and southern Germany many times, I found that most Germans
dash down to the corner bakery to purchase freshly made breads for their
breakfast every morning. As I recall, they are about the size of a Kaiser
roll and most have 'seeds' of some kind on top. The crusts are quite
shiny. She might ask her exchange student if the rolls she was trying to
describe were home made or purchased in the baker shop.
We found that the individual breads (little breads) were so good and
inexpensive to buy that they are seldom made at home. Depending on where
you live in Maryland, there is a very good authentic German bakery in
Shepherdstown W. Va., right across the border from Maryland. It is very
close to the Antietam battlefield. (Sorry I don't know the exact name but
it is the only one in this small college town and is on the main
street). I think I have seen the "little breads" in this German Bakery
when we've stayed at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown
To achieve a shiny topping which will make the seeds adhere to the bread
without falling off, I found this recipe from a book called "Bread: Making
it the Natural Way." by Joan Wiener and Diana Collier:
Crackle Glaze
About 10 minutes before the loaf (or rolls) go into the oven, soak 1/2 tsp.
yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in 2 Tablespoons of warm water. When it bubbles,
stir in 2 Tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch and 1 tsp. oil. Let it stand
until just before the loaf goes into the oven. Stir down the bubbles and
brush the glaze on the bread. As it bakes, the crust will crackle and form
a mottled design. Makes a shiny, hard crust with blothes, spots, streaks
of different colors and will help the seeds stick to the bread when baked.
The consistency of the dough in these small loaves is almost like French
bread as I recall. A good German book on bread baking from the library may
have some recipes in them, or try going on line. There are a tremendous
number of authentic recipes for ethnic cooking and baking. For specialty
seeds and toppings, King Arthur Flour can provide these.
Good luck