Partybrot, soft and fluffy German party bread rolls are made for sharing! A dash of poppy and sesame seeds on top helps get the party started.
Why this recipe works
Traditional partybrot (pronounced “broat” like boat) is coated with an egg wash just before baking and sprinkled with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Many recipes also include both white and wheat bread rolls baked together in the same pan, whereas others bake the bread as a loaf and stuff it with cheese, meats, and herbs.
All in all, partybrot is a versatile bread with a variety of different hats. It’s a popular party bread to tear and share amongst each other and the best part is that it’s really simple to prepare. I made these rolls back in 2010 after trying my hand at homemade German pretzels – needless to say, they went over really well!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
FLOUR – To accurately measure flour, use the scoop and sweep method. To do so, first aerate the flour in the bag/container then spoon it into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing. Use the backside of a butter knife to level the flour in your cup. Do not tap the measuring cup on the counter or scoop the flour directly from the bag as you’ll likely end up with about 50% more flour than you need.Â
YEAST – Be sure that your active dry yeast has not expired before beginning.
MILK – Lukewarm milk is fine. The temperature should be around 100 degrees F. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast while milk that is too cold will delay the rise process.
How to Make Partybrot
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Warm milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to take the chill off, should be lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 cup of the milk in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes then stir to dissolve.
- Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with melted butter and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then beat in eggs until evenly combined.
- Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Knead in extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky. Resist adding too much flour, as the dough should not be dry, but soft. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.
- Grease a 9.5-inch springform pan with some melted butter. Divide dough into 19 equal pieces (see tip below). Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball by pressing down with the heel of your palm, then rolling around against the counter to create the ball.
AMANDA’S TIP – The easiest and most accurate way to separate the dough into 19 equal pieces is by using a kitchen scale. Place the dough on the scale to get the full weight. Convert the total weight from pounds to ounces, then divide the total number of ounces by 19. That will give you approximately how many ounces each of your pieces should weigh. Pull pieces off of the dough and place it on the scale to get the right weight. Works perfectly and you’ll have nice uniform sections! - Arrange the shaped rolls in the prepared pan by making an outer ring of 12 rolls, and an inner ring of 6 rolls, placing the last roll in the center of the 2 rings. Cover the pan with a dish towel and proof until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Brush the top of each roll with egg glaze and sprinkle alternately with sesame and poppy seeds.
- Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Place pan onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove the springform from the rolls and place on a plate. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store the fully cooled bread rolls in an air-tight container or wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days. To store longer, place the rolls in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refrigerating the rolls may cause them to go stale quickly.
Yes, you can freeze the baked and fully cooled partybrot rolls. Transfer the rolls to a large freezer bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat.
Serving Suggestions
You can top partybrot with your favorite seeds or do a combination of a few different types – sesame, poppy, caraway, flax, chia, sunflower, and even pumpkin seeds are all great options.
Serve German party bread with hearty stew or pot roast, or as-is with cheese and marinara for dipping. It’s an excellent appetizer for parties, as the name states! Pair with a meat and cheese board for large gatherings.
More Bread Roll Recipes
- Bretzel Rolls
- Parmesan Garlic Rolls
- Homemade Pull Apart Dinner Rolls
- Pull Apart Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
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Partybrot – German Party Bread
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 cup milk separated
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
Things You’ll Need
- 9.5 inch springform pan
Before You Begin
- Be sure that your active dry yeast has not expired before beginning.
- Lukewarm milk is fine. The temperature should be around 100 degrees F. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast while milk that is too cold will delay the rise process.
- To accurately measure flour, use the scoop and sweep method. To do so, first aerate the flour in the bag/container then spoon it into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing. Use the backside of a butter knife to level the flour in your cup. Do not tap the cup on the counter or scoop the flour directly from the bag as you’ll likely end up with about 50% more flour than you need.Â
- You can top partybrot with your favorite seeds or do a combination of a few different types – sesame, poppy, caraway, flax, chia, sunflower, and even pumpkin seeds are all great options.
Instructions
- Warm milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to take the chill off, should be lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 cup of the milk in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; then stir to dissolve.
- Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with melted butter and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Beat in eggs until evenly combined.
- Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead until smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Knead in extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky. Resist adding too much flour, as the dough should not be dry, but soft. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.
- Grease a 9.5-inch springform pan with some melted butter. Divide dough into 19 equal pieces (see tip below). Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball by pressing down with the heel of your palm, then rolling around against the counter to create the ball.TIP – The easiest and most accurate way to separate the dough into 19 equal pieces is by using a simple kitchen or postage scale. Place the dough on the scale to get the full weight. Convert the total weight from pounds to ounces, then divide the total number of ounces by 19. That will give you approximately how many ounces each of your pieces should weigh. Pull pieces off of the dough and place it on the scale to get the right weight. Works perfectly and you'll have nice uniform sections.
- Arrange shaped rolls in the prepared pan by making an outer ring of 12 rolls, an inner ring of 6 rolls, placing the last roll in the center of the 2 rings. Cover the pan with a dish towel and proof until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Brush the top of each roll with egg glaze and sprinkle alternately with sesame and poppy seeds.
- Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Place pan onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove the springform from the rolls and place on a plate. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store the fully cooled bread rolls in an air-tight container or wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days. To store longer, place the rolls in an air-tight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refrigerating the rolls may cause them to go stale quickly.
- Freezing – Transfer the fully cooled rolls to a large freezer bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Feb 16, 2010 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.
Amanda Davis
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Amanda says
How fun! Thanks for letting me know :) I need to make this again. Since it went straight to my daughter's school, I never even had any! LOL
Anonymous says
Dear Amanda
i discovered your site and gorgeous recipes very recently… i have made a couple of things… but this bread was an immediate hit with my husband! thanks a lot! ! !
Amanda says
Thank you so much Barbara!
Barbara says
You always dish out the most scrumptious looking baked goods, and this recipe is no exception. Great photos too. Many thanks from this bread addict.
Amanda says
Cathy, I'm sorry I missed your comment question. You said "I have to make this, I wonder how the dough hook would handle the kneading??"
It really didn't require too much kneading by hand, so I probably wouldn't bother dirtying up the dough hook and bowl! :)
Amanda says
Drifter – so sorry yours didn't rise! If the milk was too warm or worse yet, hot, it will kill the yeast. Another problem, though not as commonplace these days, is that your yeast may have been expired. Always be sure to check the expiration date on the package. If that wasn't it, be sure that the liquid that you add your yeast to is warm, warmer than room temp, but not as warm as a child's bath. If you have a candy thermometer, you want to shoot for a temp of 105-115, 110 being ideal. I hope you won't give up! :)
Hi Caroline! I hope you try it, I've only made one thing with kamut flour and it came out pretty good ;) Would love to hear about it if you make it! I'll stop by and check out your blog :)
Caroline says
This looks gorgeous! I am new here and was just reading about freezing the pbj sandwiches when I saw these beautiful pictures! I would love to try this for sure and since our family has been using and loving this new whole wheat we tried called Kamut Khorasan Wheat, I would love to use this for the AP flour! Oh boy – I hope mine comes out like yours! Thanks so mcuh :) p.s. I have a mom blog at smilinggreenmom.com on green, healthy, natural and allergy free living if you ever want to stop by…I'd love to "see" you there!!! :D
drifter says
Hi Amanda! I made this tonight because your directions are so straightforward and I wanted to make my first foray into the world of yeast. It tasted good, but I think I need more practice, my yeast did not rise:(