Pretzel Rolls

Pretzels rolls have a soft center and a chewy crust topped with sea salt. They taste just like pretzels!

The secret to achieving this tasty shell is boiling the dough. Now don’t worry, I have all of the steps laid out for you and these are actually quite easy to make! So get that Hamburger Queso Dip, Pulled Pork, or Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup ready to go!

Taste Just Like Soft Pretzels!

My hubby LOVES pretzel rolls. When ever he can get them, he chooses these flavorful buns. They are tasty all on their own, especially warm from the oven.

These rolls are so good and taste just like pretzels! The outside is chewy, but the inside is soft. We used them for sandwiches and burgers and they were awesome for both.

They also go great as a side for soup and salad. Really, anywhere you would want a piece of bread to accompany, these are amazing. While they do require some work, trust me the effort is worth it!

How to Make Pretzel Rolls

DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the yeast, oil, milk, and water. Let sit until the yeast is bubbly.  Stir in the salt and 2 cups of the flour. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms that does not stick to your finger when lightly tapped.

KNEAD & RISE. Knead 3-5 minutes. Cover and let rise one hour, until doubled.

SHAPE & RISE. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet to rise. Cover and let rise one hour.

PREP. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 425.

BOIL. Bring the water, sugar, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Add the pieces of dough to the pot, 2-3 at a time, and boil 1-2 minutes on each side.

*Note: They do look a little ugly and misshapen after the water bath, but they bake into nice round rolls.

SPRINKLE. Place the boiled pieces of dough on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Score the top of each piece of dough with a sharp knife.

Scoring the tops: Scoring refers to making shallow slices to the top of the roll. You can make these slices parallel or you can create an x. As the bread bakes and expands the slash marks help guide it into the correct shape.

BAKE. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Quicken Rise Time

The longest part of these is waiting for the dough to rise, twice. You can speed up the rise time by placing the dough into a warm oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F and then turn the oven OFF.
2. Cover the bowl of pretzel dough with a damp tea towel and place it in the oven.
3. Allow the dough to rise to double which will take about 30 minutes in the warm oven.
4.  Heat the oven back to 200°F while you are shaping dough balls. You will also want to heat a pan of water in an oven safe dish in the microwave. 
5. Once again turn the oven OFF before putting the shaped rolls in the oven to rise for a second time. Place the pan of dough on the top rack and the heated pan of water on the lower rack. The pan will help keep the oven moist while the rolls are rising.
6. After about 25-30 minutes remove both the pretzels and the water. Preheat the oven to 425° while finishing the recipe. (step 3)

Using Pretzel Rolls

You can use these as you would any dinner roll for dipping in soup, serving as a side, or lathering with butter.

Pretzel rolls are also great for sandwiches and burger buns. You could use them for the following recipes:

• Ranch Burgers
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• French Dips
• Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Making Ahead and Storing

You can make the dough ahead of time to be baked later. You can store it in the fridge or freezer depending on how long in advance you want to get them prepped.

• Dough in the fridge: Mix the dough and let it rise for an hour. Punch down and store it, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shape the dough into balls and let rise before finishing with the recipe.
• Freeze dough: After the dough has risen for an hour shape the dough into balls and place them in the freezer. Once solid transfer them to a Freezer Ziploc. Freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to cook them, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge. Rise at room temperature for an hour before continuing with step 3.

Baked pretzel rolls can be STORED in an airtight container for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, place the rolls in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until warm.

For more roll recipes, try:

• Crescent Rolls
• Potato Rolls
• Easy Yeast Rolls
• Homemade Dinner Rolls