If you’ve ever visited a German bakery, you know that breakfast rolls (Brötchen) are a staple. These Müslibrötchen (Granola Brötchen Rolls) are hearty, slightly sweet, and packed with wholesome ingredients like seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. Perfect for a nutritious start to the day, they’re easy to prepare the night before so you can enjoy freshly baked German breakfast rolls in the morning with minimal effort.
Why You'll Love These Müslibrötchen
- Recreate an authentic German breakfast experience at home just like the ones you'd find in Germany.
- Easy overnight preparation by making the dough ahead and baking fresh Brötchen the next morning.
- Customizable by adding your favorite nuts, seeds, or dried fruit, or leaving some or all of them out for a more versatile roll.
- Wholesome and hearty because you will use a blend of white wheat, whole spelt, and whole rye flours for extra nutrition and flavor.
Bringing the German Bakery Experience Home
One of the things I miss most from Germany is the amazing selection of fresh Brötchen and pastries. Whether it's crusty Weizenbrötchen (wheat rolls), soft Laugenbrötchen (pretzel rolls), Sonennblumenkernbrötchen (sunflower seed rolls) or these nutty Müslibrötchen, German breakfasts just aren’t complete without a basket of fresh-baked rolls.
Since I will never visit Germany as often as I’d like, making traditional German bread recipes from scratch helps me stay connected to home. These Müslibrötchen bring that cozy bakery feeling right into my kitchen—and now, yours too! And the smells are just heavenly! Germans love some sweeter breakfast options like pastries too, and this Müsli roll is a nice not-so-sweet option.
What Makes These Granola Brötchen Special?
My version of Müslibrötchen combines a mix of white wheat, whole spelt, and whole rye flours for a wholesome base. The dough is then packed with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, and dried cherries for extra texture and flavor. Finally, they’re rolled in oats before baking, giving them a beautiful golden crust and crunch.
Want a more neutral roll? Simply skip the dried fruit and nuts to create a more versatile seeded roll version that pairs well with both sweet and savory spreads.
Ingredients
These German granola breakfast rolls are made with a mix of flours, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for a wholesome, bakery-style experience. Here’s what goes into them:
- All-purpose flour – The base flour provides structure and a soft texture.
- Dark rye flour – Adds depth of flavor and a slightly denser, heartier bite.
- Whole spelt flour – An ancient wheat grain with a mild, nutty taste and great nutritional benefits.
- Lukewarm water – Helps activate the yeast and bring the dough together.
- Active dry yeast – Closest to German yeast and essential for leavening, giving the rolls a light and airy texture.
- Salt – Brings out all the flavors and strengthens the dough’s structure.
- Unsalted butter – Helps to create a softer crumb.
- Malt syrup (optional) – A traditional ingredient in German bread baking that adds mild sweetness and enhances crust color. No malt syrup? Use brown sugar or maple syrup instead.
- Pumpkin seeds – My favorite seeds! They provide a nutty note that I love so much.
- Sunflower seeds – A classic addition to German-style breads, offering nutty flavor and texture.
- Chopped hazelnuts (optional) – Adds a sweet, nutty crunch, though you can leave them out for a simpler version or in case you can't get them. Feel free to use other nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds instead.
- Dried fruit (optional) – Cherries, raisins, or cranberries add natural sweetness and chewiness.
- Oats – Used to coat the rolls, giving them a rustic, bakery-style finish and extra crunch.
How to Make Granola Brötchen
Making these German breakfast rolls at home is easier than you think! The dough comes together quickly, proofs overnight, and bakes into golden, German bakery-style Brötchen with low, sleepy effort in the morning. I have detailed and printable step-by-step instructions for you in the recipe card below.
1. Prepare the Dough
The night before baking, toast the seeds and hazelnuts and knead the dough until combined. It will be a little sticky.
2. First Rise & Overnight Proofing
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for half an hour, then refrigerate overnight (about 15 hours) until doubled in size.
3. Shape the Rolls
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a 1-inch thick circle. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide it into 8 triangular pieces, like slicing a pie.
4. Coat with Oats & Final Rise
Coat the rolls with oats on one side, then let them rest for 30 more minutes before they're ready for the oven.
5. Bake with Steam for a Crispy Crust
Preheat the oven with a baking dish filled with water on the bottom rack to create steam. Before baking, make a shallow cut from the pointed tip down the middle of each roll.
6. Finish for Golden Perfection
Remove the rolls and the baking dish from the oven. Lightly brush the rolls with hot water, then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes until golden brown.
7. Cool & Enjoy!
Let the Müslibrötchen cool slightly before serving. Enjoy them warm with butter, jam, honey, or cheese—just like a traditional German breakfast!
Granola Brötchen Rolls (Müslibrötchen)
Equipment
- 1 dough tools I love using this set of dough tools for all of my bread baking. It's great for transferring dough dividing dough and cleaning up after.,
Ingredients
Dough
- 50 grams pumpkin seeds
- 50 grams sunflower seeds
- 50 grams chopped hazelnuts optional
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams whole (dark) rye flour
- 120 grams whole spelt flour
- 280 grams water lukewarm (25 ℃ / 77 ℉)
- 2 grams active dry yeast
- 10 grams sea salt
- 8 grams unsalted butter melted
- 5 grams malt syrup optional
- 50 grams dried fruit optional (I used dried cherries, but raisins, dried cranberries, dried dates or any other dried fruit works well, too)
Coating
- 50 grams oats for coating the rolls before baking
Instructions
- Prepare these the evening before your planned breakfast. Dry-roast the pumpkin- and sunflower seeds and chopped hazelnuts (optional) in a skillet. Allow to cool.50 grams pumpkin seeds, 50 grams sunflower seeds, 50 grams chopped hazelnuts
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, warm water, yeast, salt, melted butter and malt syrup and knead on lowest setting for 10 minutes, then on the second setting for another 3 minutes. You should end up with a smooth, dense dough that still sticks to the bowl some.Lastly add the seeds, nuts (optional) and dried fruit (optional) and knead for 1 minute on low or until worked in.250 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams whole (dark) rye flour, 120 grams whole spelt flour, 280 grams water, 2 grams active dry yeast, 10 grams sea salt, 8 grams unsalted butter, 5 grams malt syrup, 50 grams dried fruit
- Cover the dough airtight and allow to rest at room temperature for half an hour, then transfer to the fridge for 15 hours.
- Place a bowl or a baking dish filled with warm water on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 445℉ (230℃).
- On a floured surface and with flour-coated hands, spread out the dough into a 1 inch (2 cm) thick circle. Divide into 8 triangular 'pie pieces' using a knife or dough scaper/chopper.
- Fill one small bowl with water and another with the oats (I also like using King Arthur's Harvest Grains blend in lieu of just oats). Dip one side of the roll into the water, then the oats, place them oat-side up on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.50 grams oats
- Make a ½ cm or ¼ inch cut from the pointy corner down to the base of the roll using a sharp knife.
- Bake on the middle rack for a total of 20 minutes.10 minutes into baking, open the oven door wide to release steam.For the last 5 minutes of baking, carefully remove the water bowl to achieve a thin and crisp, golden crust.
- Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on a cooling rack and enjoy while still warm. I love eating these rolls (especially if you add the dried fruit) with cream cheese and jam or apple/plum butter. Guten Appetit!
