Erika Wassall, the Jersey Farm Scribe here with a recipe for pretzel rolls that just might change your life it is so good! Seriously. I think it did mine. I wanted burgers last night. But I wanted something special. Something extra good. And what is it that REALLY makes any sandwich extra good? The bread of course. I had made hamburger rolls before and sure they were delicious. But it wasn’t what I was looking for. Suddenly it came to me. PRETZEL ROLLS. I decided to give it making homemade pretzel rolls a try. Here’s the kicker folks… making pretzel rolls was easy. And I had four amazing rolls that transformed a simple dinner into one of the best, most satisfying meals I’d eaten in a while!
Pretzel rolls are often loved for their unique texture and flavor. They have a chewy crust with a soft interior, similar to traditional soft pretzels. The characteristic flavor comes from the dough being briefly boiled in an alkaline solution, typically a mix of water and baking soda, before baking. This process, known as “pretzelization,” gives the rolls their distinctive taste and dark, shiny crust.
Easy Pretzel Rolls Recipe
There are a few steps. But do not be fooled, each step is simple and not time consuming at all. It’s not nearly as complicated as it was in my mind! I would honestly say that even if you’ve never made bread before… you can TOTALLY do this!!!
How To Make Pretzel Rolls
As with any bread, I start by combining the sugar and yeast in a large bowl, and then adding warm water. Just use water that is warm from the tap, do not heat it up. Then let that mixture sit for five minutes. You’re basically just making sure your yeast is alive as it eats up that yummy sugar. This is what your transformation will look like, you’re looking for that foam-y-ness.
Then add in your salt, oil (A light oil is good for this. I had sunflower oil from the dollar store, so I used that. But normally I would have just used vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar and most of your flour (about all but a half cup or a cup). Mix it around until it’s all incorporated. Then add in the rest of the flour, form a dough and knead for 3-4 minutes.
Bread tip: I knead right there in the bowl. I do this for all bread and since doing it, it makes bread-making so much easier. No more messy counter to scrape dough off of. And so far… I’ve found absolutely no reason this won’t work JUST as well.
Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm place until it’s doubled in size. I place it in the oven with the oven OFF, but the light on. It took about 40 minutes, but it will vary. Be sure to check it though. You don’t want to over proof it. I would say 40-60 minutes max. Then punch the dough down. Portion the dough into 4 even amounts. Then, form the dough balls for your rolls. You want these to sit, formed, for about 10-15 more minutes.
Towards the end of this time, start boiling your water in a large pot. When it’s boiling add in 3 HEAPING tablespoons of baking soda. I realize heaping is not exactly an exact measurement. Don’t sweat it. 3 heaping is probably 4 measured if that’s easier for you.
IMPORTANT WARNING: The baking soda WILL cause the water to foam up DRAMATICALLY when you dump it in there. Just stir the baking soda bath water, it’ll calm it down. But be sure to use a pot where you don’t have to fill it to the top with water or else you’ll have a big mess.
Carefully place the pretzel dough rolls in the hard boiling water (I did four at a time) for one minute, then flip, and wait another minute. You want the water to be doing some serious boiling during this, not just a few bubbles, but full-on hard boil.
Then pull them out using a large slotted spoon and place on a parchment paper lined (or just sprayed with Pam) baking sheet.
Now, you want to score the tops. I struggled with this for SO long. I could never get the tops of my bread to score properly without destroying the beautiful loaves! You need a really sharp knife.
SOLUTION: Use an actual razor blade. It’ll cut in like butter. So simple.
Break an egg into one of your already dirty measuring cups, scramble it, and paint each roll with a good coating of egg. Top with Kosher salt. This coarse salt appears large but the flavor is gentle and delicious. Place into a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
There’s a lot of steps here, I know. But trust me, each step is very, very simple and it’s going to be unbelievably worth it. These pretzel buns just may have seriously changed my life. It was quick, much quicker than I expected and actually quicker than regular rolls would have been! Give these pretzel rolls a try yourself and transform a simple dinner into a masterpiece!!
Printable Recipe Card For Homemade Pretzel Rolls
makes 4 medium sized rolls
Homemade Pretzel Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- FOR THE DOUGH
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1.5 TBS brown sugar
- 1/2 TBS yeast (1/2 an envelope)
- 3/4 tea salt
- 1/8 cup light oil
- 1/2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup & one TBS flour
- FOR THE BOILING WATER
- 8 cups water
- 3 heaping (or probably 4 measured) TBS baking soda
- FOR THE PRETZEL ROLL EGG WASH
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Mix sugar and yeast and then pour warm water over it. Let sit for five minutes until foamy.
- Add in salt, oil, balsamic vinegar and most of flour. Mix. Add rest of flour and form a ball. Knead for 3-4 minutes.
- Let sit until doubled in size. (about 40 minutes)
- Form into balls and let sit for 10-15 more minutes.
- BOIL water (hard boil!) and add baking soda (watch for foam!).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add rolls into boiling water, cook 1 minute on each side.
- Slice your lines (use a razor-blade!)
- Paint tops with egg wash.
- Sprinkle unbaked pretzel rolls with salt
- Bake at 375 for 15 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Pretzel Rolls Recipe
Serves: 4
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 roll
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 105.81 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 7.98 g | 10.8% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.86 g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0.03 g | ||
| Cholesterol 39.99 mg | 13% | |
| Sodium 548.33 mg | 22.8% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 6.61 g | 2% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.48 g | 0% | |
| Sugars 3.64 g | ||
| Protein 2.27 g | ||
| Vitamin A 1.91 % | Vitamin C 0.0 % | |
| Calcium 4.34 % | Iron 1.85 % | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Family Focus Blog
Serve, Devour, Enjoy! And remember… I warned you… these just might change your life!!! You will be baking bread all the time now that you know how amazing it tastes and how easy it is.
These homemade pretzel rolls make amazing hamburger buns! The combination of the chewy texture and the slightly salty, savory flavor makes pretzel rolls a delicious choice for sandwiches, burgers, or simply enjoyed on their own. Their versatility and the way they can enhance the taste of various fillings and toppings also contribute to their popularity. Are you going to try this pretzel roll recipe?
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