Wholegrain Spelt Rolls with a Seeded Crust

Bring the water to the boil and, in the meantime, weigh out the wholemeal spelt flour (part 1) into a Bowl. Pour the boiling water straight onto the flour and quickly mix the two with the Danish dough whisk until you get a thick, porridge-like mass – that's the scald, the little secret behind really juicy wholemeal rolls.

Cover the finished scald with cling film and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. The hot water gelatinises the starch in the flour – this way the dough can bind much more liquid later, and your rolls stay lovely and juicy and fresh for longer.

Once the scald has cooled enough, you can start making the dough. First pour the cold water into the Dough mixer. Then add the wholemeal spelt flour (part 2), the cooled scald and the fresh yeast, and mix everything together on speed 1 for 10 minutes.

Only now do you add the salt: finish kneading the dough on speed 2 for another 2 minutes. No dough mixer? No problem – by hand works just as well, you simply knead vigorously for a total of 12 to 15 minutes until you get a smooth dough.

Shape the finished dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled Bowl. Cover the Bowl with a dough sheet and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes – this is the so-called bulk proof, during which the dough builds volume and Liquid aroma.

After the bulk proof, weigh the dough into ten pieces of 80 g each.

Shape the individual pieces of dough into small balls: the best way is to press all the corners into the middle and then turn the piece of dough over. Now, with your flat hand, make circular movements on the work surface until a nice, even ball forms. Don't be discouraged if the first ones turn out a bit wonky – by the third roll at the latest you'll have got the hang of it, promise!

Mix Rye meal, poppy seeds, sesame and sunflower seeds in a small Bowl. Brush the rolls with a little water and dip them upside down into the seed mixture – this way the crust stays really nice and dense. Place the rolls on a baking-paper-lined tray, cover them with a dough sheet and let them rise at room temperature for another 30 minutes (final proof).

After the final proof, bake the rolls in the preheated oven at 220 °C fan for 15 minutes with steam. Then turn the temperature down to 200 °C and finish baking the rolls for another 15 to 20 minutes without steam.

And here's how to create steam in a domestic oven: when preheating, place an empty metal tray on the oven floor. As soon as the rolls are in the oven, pour half a cup of water onto the hot tray and close the door immediately. After 15 minutes, open the door briefly once so the remaining steam can escape – that's how the crust turns nice and crunchy.