Emulsifier Free Classic Pretzel Rolls

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

4.6

(29)

That deep, glossy mahogany crust and chewy, pillowy interior make these rolls one of the most satisfying things you can pull from a home oven. The ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward — just flour, butter, yeast, salt, and a few pantry staples — with absolutely no additives or emulsifying agents hiding anywhere in the dough. The real magic happens in the boiling bath, where baked baking soda (yes, you bake it first to intensify its alkalinity) gives each roll that signature pretzel tang and burnished color without any shortcuts or commercial dough conditioners. A generous egg wash and a shower of coarse salt before baking seal the deal on that iconic crackly exterior. Shaping them into tight rounds and scoring the tops keeps everything looking bakery-worthy, even on your first attempt. These rolls are incredible alongside soup, stuffed as a sandwich, or honestly just torn apart warm with a little extra butter.

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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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