Almond Free Classic Pretzel Rolls

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

4.6

(29)

Chewy on the outside, pillowy in the center, and finished with a generous shower of coarse salt — these pretzel rolls deliver that iconic bakery experience straight from your own oven. The secret to their deep mahogany color and bold pretzel flavor is a two-part technique: baking the baking soda before it ever hits the water bath, then briefly simmering each roll in that alkaline bath before baking. It sounds like extra work, but both steps are straightforward and make a genuinely noticeable difference in the final crust and color. Every ingredient here is simple pantry staple territory — flour, butter, yeast, salt — so there's no need to scan labels or worry about hidden nut-based additives sneaking into your bread basket. The egg wash gives each roll a gorgeous, lacquered finish, and scoring the tops just before they go into the oven lets steam escape so the crust stays crisp as they cool. Serve them warm alongside soup, pile on sandwich fillings, or just tear one open with a little butter — honestly, that last option is hard to beat.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough

1 cup warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp fine salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For the boiling bath

¼ cup baking soda
8 cups water
1 tbsp granulated sugar

For finishing

1 large egg
1 tbsp water
1–2 tbsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt

Instructions

1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty, about 5–8 minutes. If the yeast does not foam, it is not active — start over with fresh yeast.
2
Add the flour, fine salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the flour is incorporated, then increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, about 6–8 minutes. The dough should spring back slowly when poked.

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