Servings: 12 rolls servings Prep: 15 min Cook: 1 hr 30 min Passive: 23 min

Dutch Crunch Bread has roots in the Netherlands, where it’s called tijgerbrood (tigerbread). The name stems from the crunchy topping’s irregular pattern, which resembles tiger stripes. In the UK, this bread is often called Giraffe Bread for similar reasons. The bread itself has a dense, tight crumb with a crunchy, crackly topping made from rice flour and sesame oil. The toasted sesame oil in both the dough and the topping provides an additional layer of savory flavor that makes it perfect as a dinner roll, small sandwich or slider. If you wish to use these as burger buns, divide the dough into 8 rather than 12 and bake for an additional 2 minutes. Note: In place of sesame oil, olive oil may be used.

Servings

12 servings

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

1 hour 30 minutes

Passive time

23 minutes

Ingredients

Rolls

1 ⅓ cups Warm Water (315 mL)
2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast (7 g)
3 ½ cups Artisan Bread Flour (505 g)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil (14 mL)

Crunchy Topping

¼ cup White Rice Flour (40 g)
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast (3 g)
1 tsp Sugar (5 g)
½ tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil (14 mL)
2 Tbsp Water

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together warm water and yeast. Let sit for 3-4 minutes until bubbly. Add flour, salt and oil. Mix on medium low for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, yet slightly tacky. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
15 minutes before the end of the rise, mix together topping ingredients and set aside. It should form a thick paste.
Preheat oven to 425ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Punch down the dough and tip it onto an unfloured work surface. Dough will be slightly sticky, but avoid adding flour. Divide dough into 12 equal (70 g) pieces. Flatten each piece with your fingertips, pinching the edges together to form a ball. Cup your hand around the dough and roll it, seam side down, in circles on the counter to form the rolls. Repeat with remaining pieces and arrange 6 rolls per baking sheet.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Once risen, dollop a scant tablespoon of topping onto each bun. Using your fingers, spread across the top and down the sides of each bun. This is an inherently messy process and does not need to be perfect—that’s what creates the irregular pattern on top.
Bake for 22-23 minutes. The topping will become a deep golden brown and crack in irregular patterns, creating a crunchy top. Let cool completely before enjoying.