Amazing Soft Pretzel Rolls
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4.6
490 reviews
Excellent
Amazing Soft Pretzel Rolls
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Amazing Soft Pretzel Rolls are yeast-leavened dough balls boiled briefly in a baking soda water bath before baking to achieve a characteristic soft, chewy texture and subtle tang. The dough is mixed from warm milk and water, oil, yeast, salt, and flour, kneaded until soft yet slightly stiff. After rising, the dough is portioned and shaped into rounds, then boiled and baked to develop the classic pretzel crust with coarse salt on top.
Description
The process of making Amazing Soft Pretzel Rolls begins by combining instant yeast, warm milk and water, oil, salt, and a gradually added flour to form a dough that is soft but holds its shape. After kneading and the first rise, the dough is divided and expertly rolled into smooth balls. The distinctive pretzel texture comes from boiling these dough balls briefly in a water bath containing baking soda and sugar, which affects the crust formation and flavor.
Baking after the bath produces rolls with a gentle, golden crust flecked with coarse salt and a chewy, tender crumb inside. These rolls pair well as sandwich buns or with butter for a snack. The notes on flour amount highlight the importance of adjusting flour quantity by feel rather than strict measure to achieve the proper dough consistency.
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Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cups milk about 100-110 degrees F, warm
- 1 ½ cups water about 100-110 degrees F, warm
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 ½ - 8 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
Water Bath and Extras:
- 3 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup baking soda
- salt coarse, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or you can do this by hand in a large bowl), stir together the yeast, oil, milk and water. Add the salt and two cups of the flour. Add the rest of the flour gradually until a soft dough is formed and knead for 3-4 minutes. You may not need to use all the flour depending on many different factors (see the note) - add the flour until a soft dough is formed that clears the sides of the bowl. It is similar in texture to bagel dough and should be slightly more stiff and less sticky than, say, roll dough, but definitely still soft and not overfloured.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
- Portion the dough into 16 pieces and roll each piece of dough into a lovely little round ball. Here's a great tutorial on how to do that quickly and efficiently.
- Lay out the rolls on lightly greased parchment or a lightly floured counter. Make sure the dough balls won't stick! Let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, bring the water, sugar and baking soda to a boil in a large 5-6 quart saucepan.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, carefully take it off the parchment or counter, flip it over in your hand and pinch the bottom to form a little pucker and help the dough form a nice, taut ball. Take care not to deflate the dough; you should pinch just the very edge of the dough.
- Place 3-4 dough balls in the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side (the longer you boil, the chewier the baked pretzel roll will be).
- With a spatula, remove the dough from the boiling water and let the excess water drip off into the pan. Place the boiled dough balls onto lined baking sheets (lined with lightly greased parchment or a silpat liner).
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Using a very sharp knife or razor, slice 2-3 cuts into the top of each unbaked roll about 1/4-inch deep or so. It's important to use a very sharp blade so that it cuts the dough without deflating it. It's ok if the dough looks wrinkly and kind of funny. It will work itself out during baking. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with coarse salt.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until the rolls are deep golden brown. These rolls definitely taste best the same day they are made; however, lightly warmed in the microwave for a few seconds will do wonders for pretzel rolls 1-2 days old.
Notes
- Adjust flour quantity while mixing to reach a slightly stiff but soft dough, as humidity and other factors affect the amount needed.
- The dough needs to clear the bowl sides and be similar in texture to bagel dough but still soft.
- The notes include a yeast tutorial to understand ideal dough consistency.
- The water bath with baking soda and sugar is essential for developing the crust and flavor unique to pretzel rolls.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1 Roll
Calories
237kcal
(12%)
Carbohydrates
44g
(15%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
3g
(5%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
3mg
(1%)
Sodium
828mg
(35%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 16pretzel rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Roll | |
| Calories | 237kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 44g | 15% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 828mg | 35% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
490 reviews
Excellent
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