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Soft Pretzel Buns Recipe makes super delicious and versatile bread rolls that are fun for eating as dinner rolls with some soup or stew, as a tailgating snack while watching the game, or, enjoy them as hamburger buns with your next burger.
Making these soft pretzel buns at home from scratch is really way easier than you may think. Oh, and they’re a great way to celebrate Octoberfest.
We appreciate your support
Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Tailgating snacks
Tailgating Snacks Month is so much fun around my house! We’re talking about all these super yummy ideas, and my husband is really getting into all these snacks! I guess that’s not really a big surprise! I mean, who doesn’t love a tasty snack!
Happy Tailgating Snacks Month!
How will you eat your Pretzel Buns?
- Soft are great as hamburger buns
- Also, perfect as slider buns – Check out my recipe for Corn Fritter Sliders with Avocado
- Serve with cheese sauce
- Pile up the sandwiches like ham, tuna, veggies, turkey
- Soft pretzel rolls are fantastic when served with soup like shrimp tomato soup or Garlic potato soup
- Homemade hot dog buns
- Serve ‘em up with some spinach artichoke dip
- Butter toast the buns! Split them horizontally with a bread knife, smear butter inside, and toast them, cut side down, in a hot skillet.
How to make
There are detailed amounts and instructions in the recipe card below. But here’s the gist of how to get all the flavor and all the taste!
- Make the dough. It’s easy to mix up in a stand mixer or bread machine.
- Allow the dough to rise
- Punch the dough down and turn it onto a clean, lightly floured surface.
- Shape the dough
- Cover and let rise
- Make the baking soda bath with boiling water in a large pot or roasting pan and boil the dough balls. Remove the boiled dough al place on the lined baking sheet.
- Brush the boiled rolls with egg, sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, then cut the top open with a sharp knife
- Bake until golden brown
Can I make them in a bread machine?
They’re really easy to make, especially if you have a bread machine.
Just toss in all your wet ingredients into the bread machine, followed by the dry ingredients, ending with the yeast.
Then, let the machine do all the kneading and rising for you.
Also, here’s a great tip from a friend of mine: The machine helps keep cat fur out of the dough, because it has a closed top. So, if you have fur babies, the bread machine is a great way to go! (thanks Kat, for the tip!)
The other piece of baking equipment that I highly recommend is a Siplat.
They make it so you don’t have to oil or butter your baking sheet, and they’re reusable, so no trash build-up!
Lye solution
Can you make these buns in a lye solution instead of a baking soda solution? Though the lye solution was traditional, and yes, you could still do it, it takes a lot more precautions to work with lye. And I just don’t think it’s worth the effort when baking soda does such a great job!
What makes pretzel bread different?
Pretzels have that unmistakable chew and flavor. That taste is due to the fact that the dough is boiled, then baked. It’s the boiling in baking soda solution that gives the outside of the pretzel its beautiful golden brown color and unique chewy texture. And, then of course, that crunchy coarse sea salt makes it so good!
What is the difference between a pretzel bun and a regular bun?
These soft pretzel buns are super fun and impressive. You just want to grab one and nosh on it!
It’s that chewy sturdy texture. Fluffy and soft on the inside. Chewy on the outside. These buns make your meals something special.
Pretzel Salt
I have a small jar with pretzel salt in my cupboard.
We used to buy those frozen soft pretzels that you bake up yourself, and they always come with a packet of pretzel salt.
I never want my pretzels as salty as they seem to think people want, so I never used the full packet.
Over the years I saved the salt in a jar and now I have a nice little stash of the granules.
If you don’t have pretzel salt already, Amazon sells it: pretzel salt.
Or, I bet a well-stocked grocery store might carry it (just look on the bottom shelf). And, if you want to skip the pretzel salt, simply go with a chunky coarse sea salt.
How to store homemade bread
Store bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days. If you’re storing bread longer than a few days, it’s best to keep it in the freezer.
A couple of tips. Don’t slice the bread and it’ll stay fresh longer as the exposed interior will start letting out moisture.
Wrap the buns. If you reduce air circulation by wrapping your bread, you can slow the drying process. If you’re storing bread for a day or two, plastic or foil (rather than cloth or paper) are the best options. Buns can also be placed in a bread box to slow the process.
Don’t place the buns in the fridge. Placing bread in the fridge might actually speed up the staling process. The refrigerator causes moisture to evaporate, thus making the bread dry and hard.
For the longest possible storage (more than a day or two), freezing is the way to go. Freezing will keep the moisture in the bread, keeping it fresh the longest. Store them in a freezer safe ziptop bag.
Defrost them on the counter or reheat in an oven to defrost.
If the salt breaks off during storage, brush a little water on top of the bun and sprinkle some more coarse salt on top.
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Soft Pretzel Buns Recipe
Soft Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup warm water 110° F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast not instant rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cups baking soda
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- Pretzel salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let rest 5-10 minutes, until frothy.1 ½ cup warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar
- Add the flour, salt, and melted butter, and mix using the dough hook, until combined well. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and turn it onto a clean, lightly floured surface.4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat, and set aside. Cut the dough in quarters, then, cut each quarter in thirds, making 12 pieces.
- Take a piece of dough and form a ball; smooth ball by pulling the sides to the center and pinching the bottom to seal.
- Place the ball, pinched side down on the prepared baking sheet, with 1-inch between each roll. Cover dough balls with a clean cotton tea towel, and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes until they rise & double in side.
- Place the oven rack in the middle position, and preheat oven to 425° F.
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water (or 8 cups of water) to a low boil. Slowly and carefully add the baking soda, making sure that it doesn’t boil over as you add the baking soda to the water. Lower the heat to a simmer.¼ cups baking soda
- Place 2-3 rolls at a time into the poaching liquid, seam side down. Poach for 30 seconds. Carefully turn the roll over and poach for another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the lined sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
- Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the beaten egg, making sure to coat all sides completely. Sprinkle each roll with pretzel salt. Using a sharp straight edged knife, cut a slash or an “X” shape in the top of each roll. Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes.1 egg, Pretzel salt
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
Lori, Store the buns, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, at room temperature for a couple of days. If you’re storing bread longer than a few days, it’s best to keep it in the freezer. Thanks for the question, I’ve updated the information in the post with additional tips as well.