Easy Homemade Soft and Chewy Pretzel Bread Rolls

Easy Homemade Soft and Chewy Pretzel Bread Rolls

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

A few years ago I tried pretzel bread rolls from a store and wasn’t too impressed. I thought they were a little on the dry and hard side. Where was the soft, chewy texture of the hot pretzels we bought on the street as kids? But when I eat something purchased that I don’t enjoy, the only thing to do is to try to figure it out for myself and wow, was I impressed! These Easy Homemade Soft and Chewy Pretzel Bread Rolls are just like the warm pretzels of my childhood. Soft inside with a chewy crust and a hearty sprinkling coarse sea salt, these taste just like traditional soft pretzels, but are formed as a roll shaped dough suitable for sandwiches, burgers, or for dipping in your favorite soup.

​Some of the best features of this recipe:

Only one rise! Unlike most recipes that require two rises, the first rise of one hour is the last rise.

These are super soft rolls that are easy for slicing.

​A chewy, sea salt studded crust just like traditional pretzels.

With some simple reshaping, you can create hot dog buns, a pretzel bread loaf, or even homemade soft pretzels.

No lye bath needed! That sounds so dangerous, no? This recipe involves a simple boiling process in a water and baking soda solution.

​Like all my other recipes, these Easy Homemade Soft and Chewy Pretzel Bread Rolls require no special ingredients or complicated cooking techniques.

Recipe Ingredients

Pretzel Bread Rolls:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt (regular table salt)

1 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F)

1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

2 tbsp brown sugar

​3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp melted butter

​Coarse sea salt

Water Bath:

2 cups water

1/4 cup baking soda

Helpful Tools

​Large bowl

​​Instant read thermometer

Microwave safe measuring cup

Medium bowl

Wooden spoon or spatula

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment

Large pot

​Wire spider tool or large slotted spoon

Bench scraper

Silicone mats

Baking sheet

Sharp knife of kitchen scissors

Ingredient Notes

Make sure that you are using fresh yeast. Check the expiration date on the package and do not use it if it has expired or the dough will not achieve the necessary rise.

Use regular table salt in the pretzel dough. The coarse sea salt is for sprinkling on top of the pretzel buns only.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the three cups of flour and 1 tsp of table salt. Set aside.

2. Heat one cup of water in a microwave safe measuring cup until it reaches about 105 degrees.

3. Pour the water into a medium bowl.  

4. Add the brown sugar to the water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.

5. Add the yeast to the warm water and sugar and stir to combine.

6. Cover the bowl with a plate and let the mixture sit undisturbed for 5 – 7 minutes until foamy. This means your yeast is activated and ready to do its job!

7. Melt 3 tbsp of butter using the least amount of time possible. Take the temperature of the butter and make sure it is no warmer than 105 degrees. If it is hotter, set it aside for a few minutes.

8. Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.

9. Put the milk and melted butter into the bowl with the flour.

10. Add the activated yeast mixture.

11. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes.  Remove and knead by hand 4-5 times on a lightly floured surface. If you don’t have a mixer, stir everything together with a wooden spoon and then knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth and lightly sticky. When you poke the dough with your finger, it should bounce back.

12. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl (I use a bit of canola oil) and spin the dough around so it gets a light coating of oil. Use the large mixing bowl you had to whisk together the flour and salt. No need for an extra dish!

13. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

14. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F as you near the end of the dough rise time.

15. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. You can use a lightly greased baking sheet if necessary.

16. Prepare the baking soda water bath. Boil the water in a large pot. SLOWLY and CAREFULLY add the baking soda to the boiling water. NOTE: It will bubble up very vigorously, so make sure you are using a large pot and you do not stick your hand too far down into the pot.

17. While the water boils, shape the rolls. Gently remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.

18. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into four equal pieces. Gently roll each piece of dough into a ball. Tuck the pieces together on the bottom of each of the dough balls, pinching the dough together to seal.

19. Using a wire spider or a large slotted spoon, carefully lower one dough ball at a time into the boiling water. Boil for one minute on each side.

20. Remove the dough, draining off any excess water, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

21. Cut an X-shape into each of the dough balls with a sharp knife or kitchen shears.

22. Sprinkle the top of each roll with coarse sea salt.

23. Bake the rolls your Easy Homemade Soft and Chewy Pretzel Bread Rolls for 20-24 minutes until a deep brown color – just like a traditional soft pretzel.

24. Run butter over the surface of each roll as it comes fresh out of the oven. This will make for an even softer roll.

Check out the printable recipe card below for the step-by-step directions!

Storage

Store the baked pretzel rolls in an airtight container for up to two days. DO NOT store in the fridge as the rolls will get soggy.

Tips & Tricks

When taking the temperature of heated water, swirl the water a few times and use an instant read thermometer. This results in a more accurate measure of the temperature.

Yeast does not react well to hot temperatures; in fact, if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise. The correct temperature here is about 105 (one or two degrees on either side is OK). I sometimes have to pour out some water and add cold water a few times to get it just right.

​The best way to measure flour when baking is to spoon it into a measuring cup (the kind for dry ingredients, not the one for liquids) without packing it down and then leveling it off with a spatula or the back of a knife.

Brown sugar is measured in terms of being “packed,” that it, pressed into the tool you are using. In this recipe, you will press down the sugar in the tablespoon.

FAQs

Can I make traditional pretzels with this dough?

You can make traditional pretzels using this dough. You can also make soft pretzel bites, a pretzel loaf, and hot dog buns. Shape as desired making sure to pinch down any loose ends firmly so they don’t pop up during baking. For larger items, double the water and baking soda. Remember to keep an eye on the baking time. Larger things will require more time and smaller things, less. The pretzel dough is cooked when an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads 195 degrees F.

Feeling empowered by making a yeast bread? Try this Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning or Crusty Country French Bread.