Artificial Flavors Free Classic Pretzel Rolls
That deep mahogany crust, the chewy pull, the hit of coarse salt — these pretzel rolls deliver everything you want from a classic bakery staple, made entirely from scratch with ingredients you can actually read and trust. Store-bought pretzel products are notorious for sneaking in "natural and artificial flavors" as a catch-all additive, so baking your own is the cleanest way to get that authentic pretzel experience without the guesswork. The real magic here comes from baking the baking soda before it hits the boiling bath, a simple oven step that intensifies both the color and that signature slightly bitter, deeply savory pretzel flavor — no additives required. A quick dip in the alkaline simmer followed by a generous egg wash is all it takes to build that glossy, crackly shell. The dough itself is beautifully straightforward: flour, yeast, butter, salt, and water, nothing more. Finished with a shower of coarse sea salt and a hot oven, these rolls come out tasting like something from a serious artisan bakery. Serve them warm alongside soup, pile on sandwich fillings, or honestly just eat one plain off the cooling rack — they're that good.
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Learn more →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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