Pretzel Rolls
Ever since we made our own homemade pretzels last year, I’ve been meaning to try Homemade Pretzel Rolls for making sandwiches – and I finnnnally got around to it this week!
Homemade Pretzel Rolls Recipe
When I was younger, my dad would sometimes buy an assorted bag of sandwich buns and rolls at the grocery store.
I think they were “end of the day” rolls, but I don’t think any of us minded.
There was usually one or two pretzel rolls tucked in those bags, and my siblings and I would battle it out to get to those pretzel rolls first.
But now that I’m a grown up who knows her way around the kitchen, I can have ALLLLL the pretzel rolls I want – and I can send braggy pictures to my siblings to get them back for all of their underhanded pretzel-stealing ways.
This pretzel roll recipe is super straightforward and easy.
There are a few extra steps beyond what your standard dinner roll recipe requires, but they are so worthwhile (and absolutely necessary if you want an authentic pretzel roll). If the recipe seems a bit too time intensive, you can split the work over two days. Prepare the dough the night before and refrigerate for the rising. (I’m not sure if you could refrigerate the rolls after boiling, but next time I make these I will try it and report back.)
The final product to this simplified recipe are chestnut brown rolls with a crunchy, chewy outside and a soft, tender inside and a gorgeous malty flavor. Honestly, these pretzel rolls taste like you just picked them up fresh from a specialty baker.
They taste great on their own, served on the side with some soup (like our Creamy Italian Sausage Soup or one of our 40 Instant Pot Soup recipes), or make some delicious sandwiches with a generous slathering of mustard. I think a platter of sandwiches made with these buns would be perfect for a party or potluck.
I hope your family loves this pretzel roll recipe as much as mine does – and that your children appreciate how easy they have it, not having to race to the cupboard for the ONLY pretzel roll…
Pretzel Rolls Ingredients
-
1 cup milk
-
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
-
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
-
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
-
3 cups flour
-
8 cups plus 1 teaspoon water
-
1/2 cup baking soda
-
1 egg
-
Sea salt
Tip: the dough for these rolls can be prepared a day in advance and kept in the fridge overnight.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- Slotted spoon
- Cookie sheet
- Candy thermometer (optional)
How to Make Pretzel Buns
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and 2 Tablespoons of butter.
Heat to 125F (hot but not boiling) and remove from heat.
Stir the yeast and brown sugar into the milk mixture and let proof for up to 5 minutes.
Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl and stir in flour (with a spoon or with your hands).
Knead for 5 minutes, and then cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot of your kitchen.
After an hour, the dough should be doubled. Punch down and divide into 8 even balls.
Preheat oven to 400F
Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Place 8 cups of water and the baking soda in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Drop the rolls into the boiling water, two at a time, for two minutes, turning once.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the rolls from the boiling water and place on greased cookie sheet.
After boiling all of the rolls, make two or three small cuts to the top of the roll to allow steam to come out.
Combine the egg and 1 teaspoon water and brush over the rolls.
Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F for remaining 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven.
When the rolls are cool enough to handle, brush a bit of water on the top and then sprinkle on sea salt.
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Pretzel Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 8 cups plus 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 egg
- Sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and 2 Tablespoons of butter.
- Heat to 125F (hot but not boiling) and remove from heat.
- Stir the yeast and brown sugar into the milk mixture and let proof for up to 5 minutes.
- Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl and stir in flour (with a spoon or with your hands).
- Knead for 5 minutes, and then cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot of your kitchen.
- After an hour, the dough should be doubled. Punch down and divide into 8 even balls.
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
- Place 8 cups of water and the baking soda in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Drop the rolls into the boiling water, two at a time, for two minutes, turning once.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the rolls from the boiling water and place on greased cookie sheet.
- After boiling all of the rolls, make two or three small cuts to the top of the roll to allow steam to come out.
- Combine the egg and 1 teaspoon water and brush over the rolls.
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F for remaining 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- When the rolls are cool enough to handle, brush a bit of water on the top and then sprinkle on sea salt.
These super simple pretzel buns are a delicious side dish for soup or saucy casseroles, and they make a great bun for sandwiches.
For more delicious side dish ideas, check out our Creamy Potato Pea Salad or our Crab Rangoon with Wonton Chips.
Check out our other Appetizer Recipes here:
