Black Pepper Free Classic Pretzel Rolls

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

4.6

(29)

Soft on the inside, deeply bronzed and chewy on the outside, these pretzel rolls deliver everything you love about a classic soft pretzel in a handheld roll format. The secret to that signature pretzel flavor and color is a quick dip in a baking soda bath before baking — no lye required, just a pantry staple and a pot of simmering water. Baking the baking soda first takes the flavor even deeper, giving each roll that unmistakable savory, slightly alkaline crust that makes pretzels so craveable. The entire recipe is naturally free of black pepper — not a trace in the dough, the bath, or the finishing — so you can enjoy every bite without scanning labels or worrying about hidden spice blends. A generous brush of egg wash before they hit the oven is what locks in that gorgeous mahogany color, and a shower of coarse salt right after is the finishing touch that makes them look bakery-worthy. These rolls are incredible alongside soup, stuffed with deli meat, or simply torn apart warm with a little mustard on the side. Once you pull a tray of these out of the oven, it will be very hard to wait the full ten minutes before diving in.

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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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