BEST Homemade Pretzel Rolls
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BEST Homemade Pretzel Rolls make the best sandwiches and are also great with just a pat of butter. Soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, these rolls will have you making them again and again!
Bread lovers unite!
Can you tell I’m excited about these pretzel rolls? I am I am. They are modeled after my Homemade Pretzel Bites, which are also amazing, and I know you’re going to love them too.
Homemade Pretzel Rolls are just so many things. Let me list them for you!
- Soft on the inside.
- Chewy on the outside.
- Buttery.
- Salty.
- Perfect for sandwiches.
- Delicious served warm with a pat of butter.
Ingredients needed for the BEST Homemade Pretzel Rolls:
This recipe uses mostly pantry ingredients. It’s a great recipe to whip up on a whim. BECAUSE homemade pretzels!
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast. Red Star is my preferred brand.
- Sugar – Just a bit to help activate the yeast.
- Water – You’ll need warm water, not hot and not cold.
- Butter – Some melted butter makes these pretzel rolls…buttery! 😀
- Honey – I chose to use honey for the sweetener. But you could use regular sugar or even maple syrup.
- Salt – Kosher salt is what I use in most of my cooking and baking.
- Flour – Using a combo of regular all-purpose flour and bread flour makes these nice and chewy. You could, however, use just all-purpose flour.
- For boiling – I used a combo of eight cups of water and eight tablespoons of baking soda.
- For Topping – After the pretzel rolls come out of the oven, you’ll want to brush with butter and add a touch of sea salt.
How to make Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls:
- Activate the yeast. Using a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Take a spatula, and stir it around a couple of times. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. You should see a bubbly mixture when it’s ready.
- Continue adding ingredients. Add the melted butter, honey, and kosher salt. Stir again with a spatula.
3. Add flour to desired consistency. Start by adding the all-purpose flour and about one cup of bread flour to the mixer. Let the mixer run, and occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
4. Let the dough rise. Grease a large bowl with canola or olive oil. Remove the dough from the mixer, and form it into a ball. Then place it in the bowl, and cover it with a clean dishtowel. Place the bowl in a quiet corner of your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size, about 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of your house and where you live. (See picture below.)
5. Prep. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prep two square 8×8 pans with baking spray. Combine the water and baking soda in a large stock pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
6. Shape pretzel rolls. Use a clean working surface or baking mat, and spread a bit of oil on it. Divide the dough into two equal sections, and then into nine equal sections for each. Form them into smooth round shapes. (See picture below.)
7. Boil bites. Gently drop about 4-5 pretzel rolls into the boiling water at a time, and try to make sure they aren’t touching. Cook for 20 seconds, and then start removing them with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water as you go. Place on the prepared baking pans so that nine rolls fit into each pan, and add sea salt. Use a sharp knife to make slits in the top. Continue with remaining dough. (See picture below.)
8. Bake. Bake rolls in a preheated 400 degree oven, until done, approximately 18-20 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Immediately brush with softened butter, and add a touch more sea salt, if desired.
Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast:
As a rule, I only use Active Dry Yeast in my bread baking. You can use Instant Yeast as well, but will need just a little bit less. Instant Yeast also requires less time to rise, but since I live in a fairly warm, humid climate (Texas), I’ve never had a problem with my bread rise.
- Active Dry Yeast – A type of dry yeast that’s granular, similar to cornmeal. This yeast is a living organism that’s dormant until proofed, requiring a small amount of lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar to activate.
- Instant Yeast – Also known as quick-rise, rapid-rise, or even bread machine yeast. This yeast is milled into smaller particles so it doesn’t need to be dissolved into water. The dough rises faster with this yeast because enzymes and other additives are included to make this happen. You don’t ever need to do more than one rise with this yeast.
Why is it necessary to boil the rolls in water and baking soda?
Boiling the pretzel rolls in water and baking soda is what makes the magic happen for this recipe. It gives the dough the proper chewy outer texture, and makes them brown up nicely. Don’t they actually look like a pretzel should? 😀
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
Make these dinner rolls next or these delicious cinnamon rolls!
xoxo ~Sue
BEST Homemade Pretzel Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter – melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour – more or less, to desired consistency
- sea salt – for topping
- butter – for topping
To boil:
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
Instructions
- In a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Stir with the spatula and then let it sit for about 15 minutes to activate the yeast. You should see the mixture become bubbly when it's ready.
- Add the melted butter, honey, and kosher salt, and stir again.
- Attach the dough hook and add the all-purpose flour and about two cups of the bread flour. Start the mixer and let it run, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more bread flour until you get a nice dough consistency. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
- Use your hands to grease a large mixing bowl with oil. Remove the dough from the mixer and form it into a smooth ball. Then place it inthe bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Place the bowl in a quiet corner of your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size. This will take around 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of your house and where you live.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prep two square 8×8 pans with baking spray. Combine water and baking soda in a large stock pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Spread some oil on a baking mat or clean surface. Split dough into two equal sections, and then divide each section into nine equal parts. Use your hands to form each part into a nice smooth ball.
- Gently drop about 4-5 pretzel rolls into the boiling water at a time, and make sure they don't touch. Count to 20, and then start removing them with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water as you go. Place them in the prepared pans, lining them close together, so that nine rolls fit in each pan. Use a sharp knife to cut slits on top of each roll. Continue with remaining dough. Add sea salt to the top of the prepared rolls.
- Bake rolls in a preheated 400 degree oven, until done, approximately 18-20 minutes. They should be a deep golden brown color. Remove from oven and immediately brush with softened butter. Add a little bit more sea salt to the tops, if desired.
Notes
- These pretzel rolls make great little sandwiches or great with just a pat of butter.
- Store these rolls (in a sealed bag or container) on your countertop for a couple of days.
- You can freeze these for up to three months.
Soft on the outside. Chewy on the inside!
Exactly!