Celery Free Classic Pretzel Rolls
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, slightly tangy flavor is a two-part trick: baking the baking soda before it ever hits the water bath, then giving each roll a quick simmer in that alkaline bath before baking. It sounds like extra work, but both steps are genuinely simple and make all the difference between a dinner roll and a true pretzel roll. Every ingredient here is straightforward — flour, yeast, butter, salt, egg — so there's nothing hidden to second-guess, which is a real relief when you're navigating a celery allergy and store-bought breads often sneak in unexpected seasonings or flavor blends. The dough comes together easily in a stand mixer, and shaping the rolls into tight rounds is satisfying even for beginner bakers. Pull them fresh from the oven, let the crust crisp up on a wire rack, and serve them alongside soup, sandwiches, or honestly just a little softened butter — they disappear fast either way.
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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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