Rice Free Classic Pretzel Rolls

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

4.6

(29)

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 crust and bold pretzel flavor is a two-part technique: baking the baking soda before it ever hits the water bath, then briefly simmering each roll in that alkaline bath before baking. It sounds like extra work, but both steps are straightforward and make an enormous difference in color, chew, and taste. The entire ingredient list is built around wheat flour, butter, yeast, and pantry staples — no grains beyond all-purpose flour, which means anyone avoiding rice or rice-derived fillers can dig in without scanning labels for hidden additives. A quick egg wash before the rolls go into a hot 425°F oven is what locks in that glossy, crackly shell. Pull them from the rack after they've had a few minutes to cool and the crust will crisp up beautifully — perfect for sandwiches, alongside soup, or honestly just torn apart and eaten warm on their own.

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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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