Barley Free Classic Pretzel Rolls
Chewy on the outside, pillowy in the middle, and finished with a generous shower of coarse salt — these pretzel rolls deliver everything you love about a classic soft pretzel in a handheld roll format. The entire recipe is built around all-purpose flour, butter, yeast, and a handful of pantry staples, so there's no barley, barley malt, or barley-derived ingredients anywhere in the formula. That matters more than it might seem, since many commercial pretzel products rely on barley malt syrup or barley flour for color and flavor, making store-bought options a minefield if you're avoiding that grain. Here, the deep mahogany crust and signature pretzel tang come from a clever baking soda bath — the baking soda is actually toasted in the oven first, which intensifies the alkalinity and produces that gorgeous color without any grain-based shortcuts. Shaping the rolls into tight, seam-pinched rounds and boiling them before baking is what gives you that satisfying chew and crackly exterior. An egg wash and a sharp score across the top lock in the glossy finish and let the crust bloom beautifully in a hot oven. Serve them warm from the rack alongside mustard, soup, or just a slab of good butter — they disappear fast.
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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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