Viennese bread

  • Side
  • medium
  • 20
  • 1 hour 15 minutes
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Russell Brown bakes this sumptuous Viennese bread in batch rolls, but you could also use this recipe to make two of the traditionally shaped loaves. This enriched dough contains higher quantities of butter and eggs to provide a wonderfully fluffy texture and rich flavour. For more bread recipes check out our collection.

First published in 2015
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 600g of T55 flour, strong bread flour
  • 340g of soft flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 22g of sea salt, finely ground
  • 30g of fresh yeast
  • 20g of dextrose
  • 540g of water, at room temperature
  • 40g of egg yolk
  • 80g of butter, melted

Equipment

  • Food mixer fitted with a dough hook

Method

1
To begin, sift the flour and salt into the bowl of a food mixer. Crumble the yeast and combine with the dextrose and 100g of water. Leave for 10 minutes until the mix starts to bubble. Whisk the egg yolk into the remaining water and add to the flour
  • 600g of T55 flour, strong bread flour
  • 340g of soft flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 30g of fresh yeast
  • 20g of dextrose
  • 540g of water, at room temperature
  • 40g of egg yolk
  • 22g of sea salt, finely ground
2
Start mixing on a slow speed with the dough hook attachment. Add the melted butter and the yeast mixture. Mix on a low speed for 15 minutes, then scrape down the dough hook and the sides of the bowl to incorporate any unmixed flour. Mix at a slightly higher speed for a further 5 minutes
3
Cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size. The time will vary according to room temperature - at 20°C it will take approximately 1 hour
4
Divide the dough up into 40g portions and shape into rolls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space out the rolls, leaving a few centimetres between each to allow for expansion. Alternatively, shape into 2 loaves - these will fit into 2 1lb loaf tins (16x11x7cm)
5
Brush one side of a sheet of cling film with a little oil, and use to cover the dough, oil-side down. Cover again with a tea towel and allow to prove until doubled in size
6
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
7
Dust the tops of the rolls with flour and bake for 10 minutes with a tray of water in the oven to create steam. If cooking in a steam/combi oven, inject two lots of steam at 5 minute intervals
8
Reduce the temperature to 160°C/gas mark 2 and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. If making loaves instead of rolls, cook for a further 15-20 minutes
9
Cook the rolls until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped - if they are not ready, return to the oven for a further 5 minutes
10
Once cooked, allow the rolls to cool on a cooling rack. If making loaves, leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing, this will help to maintain the texture of the bread
First published in 2015
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Russell Brown has achieved Michelin stardom on his own terms, impressing inspectors with his honest, unfussy creations and sound approach to restaurant management.

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