Some of you might know that I am originally from the South of Germany – I was not born in Berlin, just ended up here some years ago ;) The South of Germany is often mistaken with Bavaria, but I am from an area called Baden. The most beautiful place on earth :P
People that live in other places than “home” often miss things they are used to from their time back home. In my case I could say that about pretzel rolls and Seelen aka. souls!
Don’t worry – I did not join a cult or something like that. In the area I am coming from we have bread rolls called “Seelen” which would translate as “souls”. The origin of the name is not really clear but some say it’s coming from the Christian holiday “All Souls’ Day” where bread was given to people in need – poor souls.
Here in Berlin it is hard to find those bread rolls – I mean good ones. That’s why I thought making them myself would be a good idea.
Making these bread rolls is not hard, you just need some patience and time. That’s all. No witchcraft involved. “Seelen” are really delicious – outside crispy and inside a nice and moist dough. You can make sandwiches with them – with cheese, salami or ham – but I like them plain with some butter. So good! If you can’t eat them all the same day don’t worry – sprinkle with some water, bake again for 8-10 minutes and they are almost as good as fresh baked
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
0.75 oz. (21g) fresh yeast
2 cups (480ml) cold water
4 1/4 cups (550g) spelt flour
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. (150g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
caraway seeds
coarse salt
saltwater (1/2 tsp. salt for 1/4 cup water)
21g frische Hefe
480ml kaltes Wasser
550g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)
150g Weizenmehl (Type 405)
2 TL Salz
Kümmelsamen
grobes Salz
Salzwasser (1/2 TL Salz auf 60ml Wasser)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the dough to a bowl twice the sice of the doughs volume and cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the fridge over night for 12 hours.
3. Preheat the oven including a baking sheet to 480˚F (250°C). Place a large piece of baking parchment on your working surface and dust with some flour. Cut the dough with a spatula into 5-6 pieces. Work with floured hands and form long rolls with 1.3×9.5 inch (3x24cm) and place on the prepared baking parchment. Sprinkle with salt and/or caraway seeds and place all (dough and paper) on the hot baking sheet and let bake for 16-18 minutes until they get a nice golden color. Take out of the oven and brush with saltwater and let cool down on a wire rack.
2. Den Teig in eine doppelt so große Schüssel geben und dann mit Klarsichtfolie locker abdecken und dann über Nacht zum Gehen für 12 Stunden in den Kühlschrank stellen.
3. Den Ofen samt Backblech auf 250°C (480°F) vorheizen. Ein großes Stück Backpapier auf die Arbeitsfläche legen und mit etwas Mehl bestreuen. Mit Hilfe eines Teigschabers und bemehlten Händen den Teig in 5-6 Stücke aufteilen, daraus etwa 3x24cm (1.3×9.5inch) lange Teigrollen ziehen und auf das vorbeiretete Backpapier legen. Die Teigstücke mit Salz und/oder Kümmel bestreuen und dann Teigstücke samt Backpapier auf das heiße Backblech legen und für 16-18 Minuten backen – die Seelen sollten eine schöne Farbe bekommen haben. Die Seelen aus dem Ofen nehmen, mit Salzwasser bestreichen und auf einem Kuchengitter auskühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Schwäbische Seelen aka. “Souls”
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 18
- Total Time: 780
- Yield: 5 1x
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz. (21g) fresh yeast
- 2 cups (480ml) cold water
- 4 1/4 cups (550g) spelt flour
- 1 cup plus 3 tbsp. (150g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- caraway seeds
- coarse salt
- saltwater (1/2 tsp. salt for 1/4 cup water)
Instructions
- Crumble the fresh yeast into a tall bowl and mix with the water until dissolved completely. Sift the flours and salt into the bowl of your food processor, add the yeast water and let knead for about 20 minutes.
- Add the dough to a bowl twice the sice of the doughs volume and cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the fridge over night for 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven including a baking sheet to 480˚F (250°C). Place a large piece of baking parchment on your working surface and dust with some flour. Cut the dough with a spatula into 5-6 pieces. Work with floured hands and form long rolls with 1.3×9.5 inch (3x24cm) and place on the prepared baking parchment. Sprinkle with salt and/or caraway seeds and place all (dough and paper) on the hot baking sheet and let bake for 16-18 minutes until they get a nice golden color. Take out of the oven and brush with saltwater and let cool down on a wire rack.
Notes
- Enjoy baking!
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
Lieber Marc,
Ich habe am Samstag Dein Seelenrezept ausprobiert und muss Dir ein Kompliment aussprechen.
Sie schmecken echt lecker und kommen an die ran, die ich immer in Oberschwaben kaufe, wenn ich dort bin.
So frisch aus dem Backofen sind sie natürlich noch besser.
Herzliche Grüße,
Sabine
Great recipe and looking forward to create them but one question… no proofing between shaping and baking?
Not needed for this recipe ;)
Hi Marc
I purchased my spelt at Mother Nature. The flour looked just like hole wheat flour it was not white.The taste of the Steele was very good.
I shopped in several big stores and i could not fine Spelt flour.
Any recommendations as where I could find white Spelt Flour.
Thanks in advance.
Sorry – I get spelt flour in the supermarket around the corner.
I don’t know where you live so I can’t help you here ;)
Cheers
Marc