A hearty German roll made from a mix of wheat and rye flour.

Buttermilch-Roggenbrötchen - Buttermilk Rye Rolls
What is better than a freshly baked roll for breakfast? The smell that goes through the house is simply irresistible. These German buttermilk rye rolls are just like from a German bakery.
Many people think that baking bread and rolls takes a lot of time and effort but baking bread can be very easy and quick. Apart from that, homemade bread and rolls just taste so much better that bought ones. You can also save a lot of money, and you know exactly what ingredients were used.
How to pronounce "Brötchen"?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Brötchen" in German.
Why buttermilk is so healthy?
Buttermilk is – along with yoghurt – a probiotic food. It contains healthy, living lactobacillus, that are important for human’s digestion. In comparison to many other bacteria, these ones survive the stomach and are able to be fully active in the intestines. They can have a positive effect on digestion and intestinal flora.
Apart from that buttermilk has far less calories than normal milk with only 38kcal/100ml. 100ml full milk has 64kcal as a comparison. Yet it is still as rich with high quality protein, bone strengthening calcium and Vitamin B12, which supports cell growth.
How to make German Buttermilk Rye Rolls Video Tutorial
Authentic German Buttermilk Rye Rolls Recipe
Recipe

Buttermilk Rye Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rye flour
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
Instructions
- Heat the buttermilk to medium warm, don´t boil it.
- Add flour, yeast, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and blend briefly.
- Add buttermilk to the bowl while mixing.
- Knead for about 10 min. and allow to rise for 30 min. in a warm place.
- Knead dough briefly and shape to a rectangle.
- Cut into 8 pieces and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Slash with a sharp knife and sprinkle lightly with flour.
- Allow to raise for another 20 to 30 min.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 F and place a large heatproof bowl or pan with about 1-2 cups of water in the oven.
- Bake the rolls for 20 - 25 min.
Nutrition
Serving Tips
Buttermilk rye rolls are hearty but soft and make the perfect side to a soup or salad.
With a few slices of ham and/or cheese and some crispy lettuce leaves they make the best sandwich you´ve ever had.
Variation:
If you don´t have rye flour on hand or don´t like it, you can use bread flour or spelt flour for this recipe.
Christina says
These came out great!
Angela says
Thank you for giving them a try. I am glad the recipe turned out well for you. It is one of my favorite roll recipes.
Captain Jack says
The recipe has 1 cup water in list of ingredient but directions don't show using water in dough, it says to put water in bowl while baking rolls. Is the 1 cup water only for steam production while baking or is it suppose to be part of making the dough?
Angela says
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. The water is just for the steam production not for the dough. I adjusted the recipe to make that more clear.
Mercia Larkin says
Thank you for the recipe. I adjusted it and replaced the yeast with baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, so that I could cut out the sugar. The rolls came out very much like scones, crunchy crust and soft inside. I bookmarked this site.
Angela Schofield says
Thank you for giving the recipe a try. You can leave the sugar out in the recipe too if you would like to try the yeast variation. Yeast does not necessarily need sugar to activate, it will work fine just with the flour.