Hazelnut 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 ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward: flour, butter, yeast, and a clever baking soda bath that gives each roll its signature deep mahogany crust and bold, tangy flavor. For anyone navigating tree nut allergies, store-bought pretzel products can be a minefield of shared-facility warnings, but this recipe keeps things clean with pantry staples that carry no hidden risk. The real secret here is baking the baking soda before it hits the water bath — it intensifies the alkalinity just enough to produce that dark, crackly shell without any specialty ingredients. Shaping the dough into tight rounds and giving them a quick two-sided simmer before they ever see the oven is what separates a truly great pretzel roll from a plain dinner roll. Brushed with egg wash, scored across the top, and baked until they sound hollow when tapped, these come out looking like something from a serious artisan bakery. Serve them warm alongside soup, pile on sandwich fillings, or eat one plain off the rack — they honestly need nothing else.
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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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