Almond Free Pretzel Buns

Few things hit quite like a freshly baked pretzel bun — that glossy, deep mahogany crust with a satisfying chew and a generous sprinkle of coarse salt on top. These are built entirely from pantry staples like all-purpose flour, butter, and active dry yeast, so there's no need to scan labels for hidden nut-based ingredients or worry about cross-contact from specialty flours. The real magic here is the baked baking soda bath, which cranks up the alkalinity and gives each bun that signature pretzel tang and crackly exterior you'd expect from a proper bakery. Shaping the dough into tight, smooth balls and giving them a quick dip in the simmering bath before baking is what separates these from an ordinary dinner roll — the process is straightforward once you get the rhythm going. A beaten egg brushed over each bun before scoring deepens the color even further, and that scored X on top isn't just for looks — it lets the bun expand beautifully in the oven. Pull them from the rack when they sound hollow and smell incredible, then try to wait the full ten minutes before tearing one open. Sliced and loaded with a burger, or eaten plain while still warm, these are genuinely hard to beat.

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