Vienna Bread Recipe: Old Fashioned Finger Rolls

Vienna bread is velvety textured with a soft crumb and it makes delicious dinner rolls, too. When I was growing up the very nicest restaurants served baskets of Clover Leaf and Vienna rolls with a soft, shiny crust and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

One buttery bite and you'll know why those 5 star restaurants had plenty of these on hand for their guests!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• Variations
• Storage
• Related recipes
• ☕️ Kaffeeklatsch
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

• Active dry yeast (but you can substitute instant yeast if you like.)
• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Butter
• Milk (I used regular milk but you can use skim, low fat, or even dairy free if you like)
• Salt (I used Kosher so if you use regular table salt cut back by about 1/4)
• Eggs
• Sesame seeds or poppy seeds as desired

Instructions

You can shape these in any shape you want - I just prefer the traditional finger rolls.

1. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in the water.
2. Set aside until foamy.
3. Add the milk and 3 cups of the flour – beat for 10 minutes. Cover and set aside until light and puffy. Beat one of the eggs and add it along with melted butter, salt, and remaining sugar.
4. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that's easy to handle.
5. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand (or knead by machine for 5-8 minutes)
6. Place in greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
7. Punch down and shape into Vienna rolls (cigar shaped) or loaves (like a baguette).
8. Place on silpat covered (or greased) baking sheets. Slash rolls and brush with beaten egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds if using. Cover and let rise about 15 minutes.
9. Bake rolls at 375F-400F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

Tips

• You can make these Vienna rolls the night before, shape, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Or make the loaves the same way.
• This bread freezes really well.
• Make sure the ingredients are all warm to the touch but not more than 100F.

Variations

• Use poppy seeds instead of sesame seeds.
• Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
• Use for small tea sandwiches and appetizers.
• Shape Vienna bread into a large oblong loaves or braids.

Storage

Store, tightly covered, at room temperature for a day or two or freeze for up to three months. These are at their best the day they are made but warming them up for a few minutes in the microwave or oven will make them taste fresh again.

Related recipes

I love making old fashioned breads and rolls! This Vienna bread is so good with soups, stews, and even pasta. Here are more of my favorites...

• Soft Potato Rolls recipe is from a vintage cookbook. I've made it so easy to make that there’s no reason not to have homemade dinner rolls often! They are so buttery, light, and airy that each bite fairly melts in your mouth. 
• Country Style Whole Wheat Rolls are tender, light, and buttery because of the buttermilk in the recipe. If you love the regular buttermilk dinner rolls but want more whole grains in your diet? This is the roll for you.
• Homemade Brown and Serve Rolls are easy to make and when you serve them steaming hot with butter melting into a golden pool…maybe a little wildflower honey… well dinner just got really special. Having them all ready in the freezer is pretty handy — and it makes you look good, too.
• 30 Minute Rolls take a little less than 30 minutes start to finish. 30 minutes, y’all. 

☕️ Kaffeeklatsch

When I was growing up every restaurant we ever went to served a napkin lined basket of small breads while you waited for your food (except one, they served apple fritters but THAT'S another story). Usually they'd be hot and a fragrant steam would rise up from the basket when you opened up the napkin.

It was amazing.

My favorites were the finger shaped Vienna rolls, shiny crusted and sprinkled with sesame seeds - begging for a slather of yellow butter melting across the tender crumb.

You don't see them much any more - it's another of those recipes like cinnamon bread that seems to have been forgotten.

If you've never worked with yeast dough before I suggest reading my complete guide to working with yeast doughs before you start this recipe. It has a ton of information that will make you an experienced baker in no time!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe