Kummelweck Rolls are large, crusty rolls made in Buffalo, New York from white wheat flour.
Essentially Kaiser rolls, they are before baking glazed with a wash of cornstarch and water, and sprinkled with coarse salt and caraway seed.
They end up a dark, glossy brown from the glaze.
Classically, they are used to make “Beef on Weck” sandwiches. They are usually round, but sometimes square, such as those used at “Charlie the Butcher’s” two eateries in Buffalo to make his Beef on Weck sandwiches from.
Kummelweck Rolls need to be consumed the day they are made. After that, they get very hard — people theorize it’s the salt drawing the moisture out of the roll, though others theorize that — in theory at least — the glaze should help to keep the moisture in.
History Notes
Locals believe that a Black Forest immigrant named William Wahr brought the roll to Buffalo.
Language Notes
They are also called “Weck Rolls” and “Kimmelweck Rolls” (the “kimmel” part being spelt with an “i”.)
In German, “Kümmel” means “caraway” and “wecke” means “bread roll.”