The Recipe Critic

Pretzel Rolls

July 18, 2021

With a soft, tender inside and outside that has that cooked-to-perfection, pretzel texture we all love, these Pretzel Rolls are an instant favorite! Upgrade dinnertime with this irresistible side!

It is time to switch up the usual dinner roll. Sweet Hawaiian, potato, and Parker House rolls can easily add delicious flavor and texture to any dinner!

Pretzel Rolls topped with coarse salt in a bowl.

The Best Pretzel Rolls Recipe

Let’s talk about these pretzel rolls. Golden, glistening with butter, soft, and warm. They have all of the irresistible, chewy goodness of a pretzel from the mall but in one small, easy-to-eat bun! This gets dangerous, though, because it’s hard to keep myself from just eating 10 of them in succession. They are brushed with butter for that perfect bakery shine and topped with coarse salt to really make their flavor pop!

Because you are baking with yeast, this recipe requires a bit of TLC but is still extremely easy to make. It only takes a few pantry staples to create! Whether you eat these on their own, as a sandwich or slider, or to accompany dinner, I know your family is going to go crazy over their amazingly soft, chewy texture and hearty, buttery flavor.

Homemade Pretzel Rolls Ingredients

Because of their basic ingredients, Pretzel rolls are a delicious treat you can make any time! Individual measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Dry Active Yeast: Gives pretzel rolls their perfect rise and roundness.
  • Warm Water: This will be mixed with the yeast.
  • Brown Sugar: For sweetness and to help yeast grow.
  • Butter: It is best salted and melted ahead of time. For use in dough and for brushing on top.
  • Egg: For use as a binding agent in the bread.
  • Salt: To enhance flavor with just a pinch.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour works great in this recipe. No need to worry about bread flour.
  • Water: There is a lot of water but it is going into a big pot for a baking soda bath.
  • Baking Soda: When you boil your rolls in baking soda, it gives them their dark coloring and pretzel texture.
  • Coarse Salt: To top rolls with.

Making Pretzel Rolls from Scratch

Pretzel rolls are so easy to make at home! With how tasty, buttery, and golden these are, you won’t want to leave the house to get a pretzel again!

  1. Prepare Yeast: In a mixing bowl mix together yeast, water, and sugar. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, until it begins to get frothy.
  2. Whisk In: Egg and butter.
  3. Mix In Dry Ingredients: Add flour and salt and mix with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 6-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  4. Let Dough Rise: Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into it. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the bowl with the sprayed side facing the dough. Let rise until doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes.
  5. Preheat: Preheat oven to 425.
  6. Shape: When dough has doubled in size, cut into 12 equal portions. Form your dough into balls, keeping the seam at the bottom of the rolls.
  7. Prepare Soda Bath: Let rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting place a large pot or dutch oven on the stove and bring the water and baking soda to a boil.
  8. Boil Rolls: After the dough is done resting, boil the dough balls in batches of 3-4 at a time, boiling for 1 minute on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  9. Brush With Butter and Add Salt: Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Use a very sharp knife or razor blade to score the tops of the buns.
  10. Bake: Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the pan and bake for 6-8 more minutes, until browned. Allow to cool before serving.
The process of making pretzel rolls, step by step.

Tips For Making the Ultimate Pretzel Rolls

These great tips can help you make pretzel rolls that rival anything you can get from a bakery or the grocery store. Customize and perfect your pretzel rolls!

  • Knead Long Enough: Be sure to knead long enough. This helps your dough relax and give you a tender, soft, and chewy result.
  • Don’t Skip the Soda Bath: The baking soda bath is what will make your pretzel rolls actually taste like pretzels. It also gives them their golden-brown color and chewy texture.This happens because of what is called a ‘maillard reaction’- where amino acids and sugars react to develop a brown color and distinct flavor. When you finish boiling them, they will be slightly wrinkled. This just means that the reaction took place and they are ready for baking!
  • Score Your Rolls: When you cut the tops of your rolls, you are allowing them to expand and cook thoroughly.
  • Adding Different Flavors: You can easily change the flavor of your Pretzel Rolls by adding fresh grated cheese, cinnamon sugar, or toppings like everything bagel seasoning at the time of brushing butter on the tops of them.
  • Dips and Spreads: Pretzel Rolls taste great when broken and dipped in homemade cheese sauce. You can also cut these bad boys open and add some honey butter for a truly sweet and decadent treat. I could honestly probably live off of soft rolls with honey butter.
  • Other Uses: I love to use Pretzel Rolls as buns for little pub-style sliders. You can make anything from pulled pork, to cheeseburgers, to buffalo chicken sliders, and the pretzel texture adds a little extra tastiness.
Pretzel Rolls with coarse salt on parchment paper.

How to Store Leftover Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel rolls are perfect for warming up in the oven for a warm, delicious treat! These are always a go-to for me.

  • At Room Temperature: Either cover baked Pretzel Rolls with plastic wrap or keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • In the Refrigerator: Dough that has risen and been kneaded can be kept for 2 days in the fridge. Simply shape into balls and let rise again before baking them.
  • In the Freezer: Both unbaked dough and cooked rolls can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. For unbaked dough, thaw overnight and then let rise at room temperature before baking. To reheat cooked rolls, put them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
Close-up of Pretzel Roll being torn in half.

More Tasty Roll Recipes

Making rolls homemade really gives you the best flavor and texture. They are so perfectly fluffy and light as air, ready to be filled with butter or jam and to add fresh-baked goodness to any dinner!

Print

Pretzel Rolls

With a soft, tender inside and outside that has that cooked-to-perfection, pretzel texture we all love, these Pretzel Rolls are an instant favorite! Upgrade dinnertime with this irresistible side!
Course Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword pretzel roll recipe, pretzel rolls
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Rise 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 8 minutes
Servings 12 Rolls
Calories 197kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 1 packet dry active yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 3 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 10 cups water
  • ½ cup baking soda
  • Salted Butter for brushing on top melted
  • Coarse Salt

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl mix together yeast, water, and sugar. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, until it begins to get frothy.
  • Whisk in egg and butter.
  • Add flour and salt and mix with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 6-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  • Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into it. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the bowl with the sprayed side facing the dough. Let rise until doubled in size, about 40-60 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • When dough has doubled in size, cut into 12 equal portions. Form your dough into balls, keeping the seam at the bottom of the rolls.
  • Let rest for 10 minutes. While the dough is resting place a large pot or dutch oven on the stove and bring the water and baking soda to a boil. After the dough is done resting boil the dough balls in batches of 3-4 at a time, boiling for 1 minute on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Use a very sharp knife or razor blade to score the tops of the buns.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the pan and bake for 6-8 more minutes, until browned. Allow to cool before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 1625mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg

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