Turkey Free Classic Pretzel Rolls
These chewy, golden rolls deliver everything you love about a soft pretzel — that signature dark crust, a satisfying chew, and a generous hit of coarse salt — all in a handheld roll that works beautifully as a sandwich base or a standalone snack. The real magic happens in the boiling bath, where baked baking soda (toasted in the oven ahead of time) gives the crust that deep, distinctly pretzel-like flavor and color you just can't fake. Shaping each piece into a tight, seam-side-down ball and letting them rest before the bath ensures they hold their round form and bake up with a gorgeous, even dome. A quick egg wash before scoring locks in that rich mahogany finish and gives the salt something to cling to. The ingredient list is refreshingly simple — flour, butter, yeast, salt, and a few pantry staples — so there's no need to scan labels or second-guess what's hiding in a store-bought version. These are completely free of poultry in any form, making them a reliable choice when you need a crowd-pleasing bread that works for everyone at the table. Pull them from the oven when they sound hollow and let the crust crisp up on the rack — that ten-minute wait is genuinely the hardest part.
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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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