Tag Archives: Austrian bread

When thinking of countries that produce great bread, France and Italy are usually the two that come to mind.  Few would add Austria to that short list.  But Vienna has been a hub of artisan bread baking since the mid 19th century, and arguably, well before that as Peter Reinhart points out.

You will find many bakeries selling Vienna bread but unfortunately, it has the same makeup as their French and Italian bread.  The addition of fat (oil/shortening and egg) to the Vienna bread coats the starch making this crumb soft and supple, less open than its French or Italian cousins.  The lighter crust, though somewhat crunchy, has a great chew.  I would describe it as slightly “al dente.”  The recipe call for diastatic barley malt powder or barley malt syrup.  The powder can be found online at a couple baking sites but I managed to find the malt syrup at the local health food store for about $5.00.  It did lend a nice color to the crust!

For this recipe, I chose to make dinner rolls.  The dough was divided into 2 3/4 oz pieces, formed into boules, and proofed on a silpat-lined 1/2 sheet.  Before baking, I took scissors and made five consecutive cuts in the top of the rolls.  These made a great addition to a formal dinner and an even better sandwich bun for leftovers!