Name: Enjoy these Sigteboller Danish Salty Rye Rolls brushed with butter
Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients: 24 grams (1/8 cup + 1 rounded Tbsp. + 1 tsp.) rye flour; 40 grams (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour; 64ml (¼ cup) water; 25 grams (2 tsp.) sourdough starter; or a pinch of yeast; 150-175ml lukewarm water, additional if needed; Levain or Poolish, all of the above; 96 grams (~¾ cup) medium rye flour; 160 grams (~1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour; 3 grams (1 tsp) instant yeast (1/2 tsp yeast if using the levain); 6 grams (1 tsp) sea salt; 15 grams (2 ½ tsp) dark molasses (unsulphured) or honey, more if desired; Topping: Rolled oats, sunflower seeds, caraway seeds, coarse Kosher salt

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Sigteboller, also known as Danish Salty Rye Rolls, are flavorful and slightly tangy bread rolls made with a blend of rye and all-purpose flour. The delightful combination of flavors and textures makes them a versatile addition to your table. Enjoy these rolls with butter, cheese, cold cuts, or even smoked fish.

Sigteboller has its roots in Denmark, a country with a rich culinary heritage that includes a wide variety of breads. In Danish, “Sigteboller” roughly translates to “sifted buns” or “sieved rolls,” referring to the process of sifting the flours used in making these rolls.

The tradition of making Sigteboller has been passed down through generations, and these rolls hold a special place in Danish baking culture.

My inspiration for these Salty Rye Rolls

I’m the host kitchen for the Bread Baking Babes for October, and these Danish Salty Rye Rolls are the bake of the month. I wanted to use sourdough in these rolls, but not all Babes keep a starter on hand, so, I gave them the option of using a levain (sourdough) or an overnight poolish (yeast).

My inspiration for these rolls came from The Rye Baker, by Stanley Ginsberg. I referenced his method but created my own recipe. The Rye Baker’s recipe utilizes the straight dough method. He includes about 56% medium rye and a tablespoon of yeast in his rolls. Instead of using the straight dough method, my rolls are made with an overnight levain.

I liked the method of pressing the bottom of the rolls into the oats after shaping and prior to the final proof, so I used this technique with my rolls. I scored the top of my rolls with an X instead of slashing the rolls once before adding the toppings.

In my research, I also found a blog from two Danish-American sisters. They have a version of Sigteboller that utilizes a poolish. They use sifted rye, buttermilk, butter, and honey instead of molasses. They brushed their rolls with milk but didn’t add any toppings. Their Sigteboller looks really soft and fluffy.

How I made these Danish Salty Rye Rolls

I started my experiments using 40% home-milled rye, then upped the amount 50% rye flour for the next bake. I went back to using 40% rye for subsequent bakes. I didn’t sift the rye flour.

I opted not to add any fat or milk in the rolls.

I used 1 teaspoon of dried yeast, along with the levain, the first time, but decreased the yeast to ½ teaspoon for subsequent bakes. The added yeast helps give the otherwise dense rolls a bit of a lift, but they don’t need too much if using the levain.

I used a tablespoon of molasses in the first batch because I converted it wrong. It should be 4% of the total flour weight. I thought the flavor would be really strong, but I actually liked it. Even so, I reduced the amount of molasses to 12 grams, around 2 teaspoons, for the next bake, but upped it to 15 grams, about 2 ½ teaspoons for subsequent bakes. This provided better browning and flavor.

For some batches, I sprinkled the rolled oats on top, along with the coarse salt. I also tried pressing the bottom of the rolls in a plate of rolled oats.

I really enjoyed the rolled oats on the bottom of the rolls. If you shape the rolls on the counter without adding extra flour to the bottom, it’s fairly easy to press the rolls in the oats. You can use a bit of flour on your fingers so the top of the rolls don’t stick to your hands. However, if you add extra flour on the bottom, the oats don’t stick very well.

I found that adding the coarse salt inside the scores has a nice appearance, and it keeps the salt in place.

I brushed the first batch with milk, but didn’t really like that effect. It made the crust too light. For the next bake, I didn’t brush the tops of the rolls with anything. The color was still too light.

For subsequent bakes, I brushed the rolls with butter after baking, but before the rolls cooled down. This was my favorite way to enjoy these rolls. When you brush them with butter, it brings out the color of the rolls and coats the rolled oats on the bottom and the coarse salt on top with melted butter. This produces a delightful treat!

The recipe below includes 40% rye and 2 ½ teaspoons of molasses. Feel free to use the amount of rye, yeast and molasses (or honey) you are comfortable with.

If you don’t want to use coarse salt on top, you can sprinkle the rolls with caraway seeds, or sunflower seeds. You can also add 10-20% sunflower seeds in the dough. I haven’t tried that yet, but it would provide a delicious crunch.