Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (2024)

Super soft pretzel rolls are perfect with soup or as a bun for a sandwich or burger!

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (1)

Amazing Homemade Pretzel Buns Recipe

If you like soft baked pretzels, you will definitely like these super soft pretzel rolls! The rolls seriously taste just like a soft baked pretzel.

As you can imagine, the rolls are delicious dipped in anything cheesy, like this cheesy bacon dip or one of our soup recipes, or you could go the cinnamon sugar route instead of salt. Anything that might be delicious on a soft baked pretzel will be delicious on these pretzel rolls!

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (2)

These Pretzel Buns Have Various Uses!

Another reason to make this pretzel roll recipe is that you can use them as an awesome homemade option for sandwiches or burger buns! We’re going to have some fancy burgers with these pretzel buns!

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These Pretzel Rolls Are Surprisingly Easy to Make

Now, you might think that pretzel rolls sound hard or complicated to make, but they really are surprisingly easy and simple. Just a few little extra steps than your regular roll.

This pretzel roll recipe takes about 2 hours from start to finish. Not too bad. And about 1 hour and 20 minutes of that time is hands-off. You can do it!

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (4)

The dough is really simple – yeast, oil, milk, water, salt, flour. It is a bit more of a stiff, heavy dough, but still soft, smooth, and slightly tacky.

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (5)

How to Divide and Shape Your Pretzel Buns

The easiest way to divide the dough into 16 pieces is to shape the dough into an even square or rectangle, then cut it 4×4. A dough scraper is perfect for this!

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To make dough balls, I pull the dough back to one point to make a taut ball with one puckered end. Then you can flatten out the pucker a bit. The pinching/pulling of the dough helps squeeze out air bubbles and make a nice tight ball.

This is basically done again after the dough balls rest, but before boiling. Except it is done much more gently that time around.

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Boiling the Pretzel Buns

Finally found a good use for this skimmer slotted spoon. I think this is the first recipe I’ve actually used it in. Haha.

The dough balls will look a little strange and wrinkly when they come out of the boiling water and that is ok! It will all work out.

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Baking the Pretzel Rolls

Silicone baking mats work really well for this soft pretzel roll recipe because they help keep the dough from sticking while the dough rests and when they bake too.

It is really important that the knife or razor you use to make the slits is sharp. Otherwise, your dough balls might deflate or get squished.

Shout to my favorite knivesVictorinox! Either the chef knife or a paring knife will work here. I’ve had mine for years and they are still like new. Just use a simple knife sharpener every once in a while and these knives slice through tomatoes with ease, as well as pretzel roll dough. 😉

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Conclusion

Note that this recipe makes 16 large pretzel rolls that are perfect as buns. Feel free to make the rolls smaller, if desired.

Give this soft pretzel roll recipe a try! Fresh pretzel rolls on your table 2 hours from now!

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (10)

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Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (11)

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (12)

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe

Super soft pretzel rolls are perfect with soup or as a bun for a sandwich or burger!

4.42 / 5 ( 17 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Serves: 16

Adjust Servings: 16

Equipment

  • Stand mixer

  • Large bowl

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the yeast, oil, milk, and water. Add salt and two cups of flour. Then add more flour gradually until the dough begins to form and clears the sides of the bowl. Knead for 3-4 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky. It is a stiffer, heavier dough than your usual roll dough though.

  • Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

  • Portion the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a dough ball and place onto lightly greased parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

  • While the dough rests, add the 3 quarts water, sugar, and baking soda to a 5-6 quart pot and bring the water to a boil.

  • Carefully remove the dough balls one at a time from the parchment or mat and gently pinch the sides of the bottom of the dough in to the bottom of the ball. You are pulling the dough taut by forming a pucker of dough on the bottom. Don't totally deflate the dough ball though.

  • Gently drop 3-4 dough balls into the boiling water and boil for about 30 seconds each side. The longer you boil, the chewier the pretzel roll will be. Remove the dough ball from the water with a slotted spoon or spatula, letting the excess water drip off.

  • Place boiled dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone baking mats.

  • Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C.

  • Use a very sharp knife or razor to make two parallel shallow cuts in the top of each roll. Lightly sprinkle the tops of the rolls with coarse salt or kosher salt.

  • Bake for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are a deep golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Best served same day, but can be warmed lightly in the microwave the next day or two.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 828mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

Pretzels are dipped in food-grade lye before baking. It gives them a characteristic shine and flavor.

Is baking soda or lye better for pretzels? ›

Lye has a pH of around 13 whereas baking soda has a pH of around 8. This extra alkalinity accelerates the Maillard reaction, allowing that caramelization to develop on the exterior of the pretzels. That ultra-deep color and slightly crispy, crunchy exterior crust is only made possible with lye.

What gives soft pretzels their flavor? ›

What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.

What do you put on a pretzel bun? ›

pretzel bun sandwiches
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  4. Beer Cheese Burgers With Crispy Onions. ...
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  6. BLT Ranch Burgers.

What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains. It can even dissolve glass.

What's the difference between a pretzel and a soft pretzel? ›

Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.

Does Auntie Anne's use lye or baking soda? ›

Well, the cheery ladies were very clear with me: they do NOT use lye. No sodium hydroxide/poison/caustic soda—none whatsoever—in their pretzels. (They do, however, dip their pretzels in a baking soda solution.)

What happens if you put baking soda in pretzel dough? ›

Like lye, baking soda is an alkaline substance, and when mixed with water and brushed over the pretzel dough, it changes the pH of the dough and gelates the surface starch. In the oven, the starch gel hardens and the alkaline baking soda makes browning happen fast.

What is a substitute for lye in pretzels? ›

That is by taking baking soda, spreading it out on a baking pan and putting it into the oven at about 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour. That changes the chemical properties in the baking soda to make it behave more similarly to lye.

What is the salt on soft pretzels called? ›

Pretzel salt is a type of coarse long-grained salt.

What makes soft pretzels brown? ›

Gently dip each “rope” into the soda solution. This alkaline solution is what gives the pretzels their signature dark brown, shiny crust and distinctive flavor. The solution causes a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction, which results in browning and a distinctive taste.

How do you keep soft pretzels from getting hard? ›

Room Temperature: The best way to store your pretzels at room temperature is by using a bread box. Bread boxes let the right amount of air circulate so your bread (or pretzels!) remain moisture-free without going stale. If you don't have a bread box, you can opt for a paper bag or a storage container.

What is the purpose of putting an egg wash on the pretzel? ›

The egg wash on the pretzels gives them a little shine, and I find it softens the exterior a bit. For a more traditional taste, omit the egg wash and just use salt when the pretzels come out of the water bath.

What does Auntie Anne's dip pretzels in? ›

Choices include Cheese, Hot Salsa Cheese, Sweet Glaze, Caramel, Honey Mustard, Marinara, and Light Cream Cheese.

How do you get salt to stick to pretzel buns? ›

Lightly spray (mist) the tops of the pretzels with cool water from a distance of at least at least 18”. You don't want to soak the skin, just moisten it. LIGHTLY Sprinkle the Pretzel Salt provided to have a small amount on each pretzel. You can re-use any salt that falls off onto the sheetpan after your baking process.

What is the Flavouring on pretzels? ›

Salt is the most common seasoning, or topping, for pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional skin and flavor acquired through the Maillard reaction. Other toppings are mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, sweet glazing, seeds, and nuts.

What is the chemical dip on pretzels? ›

The dipping stage normally takes just 10-15 seconds of exposure to the hot alkaline solution which is about 200°F. Traditionally the solution was a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water. Today, most production involves the use of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate solutions which are not as caustic as NaOH.

What is the secret solution for Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

Brown Sugar- brown sugar is what Auntie Anne's pretzels, use for their pretzel dough. Salt- use good quality sea salt. Baking powder- works as a dough conditioner for these soft homemade pretzels. Basic Alkaline wash- is a simple baking soda and water solution made for dipping pretzels in.

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