These are way easier than I ever thought they would be. Pretzel buns are one of our favorites. I buy them all the time and the one day my oldest daughter wanted to bake something. I was not in the mode for anything sweet and I was planning pulled pork for dinner. So, I thought, hmmm… we should make our own homemade pretzel buns.
I looked through some different recipes and found out the basic technique. I put together a few different recipes to come up with this one. It came out perfectly and was super simple.
I really love the added chew that you get from the pretzel bun versus a totally soft bun. I also love the deep flavor from the pinch of honey that we put into the boil.
Chef’s Tips-Â Adding a little bit of honey in with the baking soda boil before baking adds a beautiful, deep flavor. Also, if you only have kosher salt instead of a larger flaky salt for the top; add a bit more to round out the flavor.
Homemade Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
- 1 1/4- ounce 2 1/4 teaspoons packet active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 12 cups water
Instructions
- Add 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water and the yeast to a large bowl and allow the yeast to sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk in salt and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Once the dough is shaggy, but mostly holding together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough for about 3 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form the dough into a ball and place back inside the mixing bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm, dry place to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down once to release some of the air bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Form each piece into a ball, and place seam side down. Let rise, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring 12 cups of water and the baking soda and the honey to a light simmer in a large pot.
- Submerge 3-4 dough balls at a time into the simmering water using a slotted spoon. Let them sit in the water for 10 seconds per side. Carefully remove each roll, making sure to drain off as much liquid as possible and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Using a sharp knife, make an X on the top of each roll. Brush the remaining melted butter on the rolls and sprinkle with a generous pinch of coarse salt. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Can be saved in an air tight container for 2-3 days.
