An iconic dark brown crust sprinkled with coarse salt envelopes a soft slightly spongy center giving these rolls the same flavor and texture as a big soft pretzel. Serve burgers and sandwiches on these pretzel rolls for an added flavor sensation, or simply enjoy them with a dollop of butter with dinner. Easier than you might think, pretzel rolls are fun to make and will certainly impress your family and friends.
I really enjoy making bread. Of all the things I cook and bake I would have to say I find bread one of the most rewarding things to produce in the kitchen. I like the fact that bread is the one common food of all people. Every culture and nation on earth has some version of bread. So taking flour and water and watching them develop into a delicious thing of beauty is something I not only find fascinating, but truly enjoy. For those of you who have not ventured into bread baking I would highly encourage you to do so. It does take a bit of practice but fortunately the ingredients are not expensive and are things you most likely have in your larder. Like anything else you will have successes and some failures, but with time you will find that there is nothing to be afraid of and the sense of accomplishment is tremendous.
The dough for these rolls is rather simple and requires less kneading that other types of bread. I start by mixing all of my dry ingredients together in a large bowl. I use rapid rise or bread machine yeast which eliminates having to bloom the yeast separately before starting. The instant yeast can be mixed in with the other dry ingredients and will not start to work until the liquids are added. Warm water is used in this recipes as well as a small amount of butter. A temperature of about 90 – 95°F for the water is what you want, slightly warm to the hand, but not hot. If the water is too warm it will kill the yeast, a thermometer is most helpful.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients until all of the flour is absorbed. This dough should be slightly sticky. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Use only enough additional flour to prevent sticking, adding more flour will make the dough tougher. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough only enough to form a ball. Place the dough in a bowl lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place the dough in a warm spot, around 90°F is ideal. Dough will rise is a cooler temperature but will take longer and a hotter spot will cause the dough to rise too fast and fall, so it is better to error on the cool side. I find placing the bowl a cold oven with the oven lights on works very well. The goal is to have the dough double in size which usually takes about an hour, but rely on the size of the dough more than your clock.
When the dough has doubled, turn it out on to a lightly oiled board. We do not want to add any more flour at this point. Just drizzle a little canola or olive oil and the board and rub it around with your hands. This also will keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you work with it. Flatten the ball of dough some with the palm of your hand, this will remove excess air pockets. Don’t poke the dough with your fingers as this tears the gluten’s that were formed during the rise, just use the flat of your hand. Once the dough is flattened roll it to form a log, this will make it easy to divide. I mark the dough with my bench knife before I actually cut it, this makes it easy to adjust if any pieces look bigger that the others. Once the pieces are cut roll each one into a ball then cover them with a cloth and let them rest on the board for 15 to 20 minutes.
Commercial kitchens use lye to get the brown color and thin crust on pretzels and rolls but baking soda will do the trick. While the dough is resting bring two quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add the salt and baking soda to the boiling water. Use caution when adding the soda as it will foam up, I add it a tablespoon at a time and that prevents the pot from boiling over. Drop 2 or 3 rolls in the water at a time and allow them to poach for 30 seconds, then flip them over for another 30 seconds. Remove the rolls with a slotted spoon draining them as you go. Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking tray. Be sure not to crowd the rolls they need room around them to brown evenly. The poached rolls will look kind of lumpy and bumpy, a bit soggy even but fear not. Score the top of the rolls with a sharp knife or lame, scissors will also work if you find that easiest. Cut a cross or several lines about 1/2″ deep in the top of the rolls and sprinkle them with coarse salt. There is a pretzel salt on the market but kosher sea salt will work. If you find you like making these rolls a lot you might invest in some pretzel salt. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rolls are dark brown in color. Place the rolls on a wire rack to cool.
- 4 ½ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup baking soda
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Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
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Add butter and warm water and mix in to a smooth slightly sticky dough.
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Cover dough and allow to double in size about one hour.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface.
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Knead the dough several times to deflate. Divide into 10 pieces.
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Roll each piece into a ball. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
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Position rack in the center of oven and heat to 400°F.
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Bring water to boil, add salt and baking soda one tablespoon at a time. Soda foams up when added so only add in small increments.
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Drop several balls of dough at a time in to the water bath. Cook for 30 seconds then turn and cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove dough with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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Using a sharp knife, scissors or lame cut ½” deep crosses in the center of the rolls. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
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Bake the buns for 25 – 30 minutes or until they are a deep-dark brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Add the baking soda to the boiling water a Tablespoon at a time. The soda foams up when added.
