BHA & BHT Free Classic Pretzel Rolls

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

Soft on the inside, deeply bronzed and crackling on the outside, these pretzel rolls deliver that iconic chewy bite and rich, malty flavor that makes a good pretzel so satisfying. The ingredient list is refreshingly short and straightforward — flour, butter, yeast, salt, and a few pantry staples — which is exactly the point. Packaged breads and store-bought rolls are notorious for sneaking in synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, but when you bake from scratch, you control every single thing that goes into the dough. The real secret here is baked baking soda in the boiling bath, which creates that signature deep color and complex pretzel flavor without any additives or shortcuts. A quick egg wash and a generous shower of coarse salt before they hit the oven give each roll that glossy, bakery-worthy finish. They come out of the oven sounding hollow, smelling incredible, and looking like something you'd pay too much for at an airport kiosk — except these are yours, made clean, made at home.

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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)
Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast Original Signature SELECT Active Dry Yeast - 3-0.25 Oz Food Club Active Dry Yeast, Gluten Free Kroger Active Dry Yeast Fleischmann's - ACTIVE DRY YEAST 3PK
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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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