Celery Free Pretzel Buns
Few things beat the satisfaction of pulling a tray of deeply bronzed, glossy buns from the oven, and these pretzel buns deliver that bakery-counter moment right in your own kitchen. The ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward — flour, yeast, butter, egg, salt — with zero hidden extras to second-guess, making them a genuinely clean bake from start to finish. The real magic happens in the alkaline boiling bath, where baked baking soda (more potent than the raw stuff) gives each bun that signature chewy crust and rich, slightly tangy depth you just can't fake. A generous brush of beaten egg before baking pushes the color into deep mahogany territory, and a scatter of coarse salt on top seals the deal. They're sturdy enough to hold up to a loaded burger or a thick smear of mustard, but honestly just as good torn apart warm off the rack. The process has a few steps, but each one is straightforward and the results are genuinely impressive — the kind of bake that makes people ask where you ordered them from.
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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
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 8 cups water
For finishing
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1–2 tbsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Spread the baking soda in a thin layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 250°F (120°C) for 1 hour, then let cool completely. Baked baking soda is significantly more alkaline than raw baking soda and produces a deeper pretzel crust and flavor. Store any unused portion in an airtight container.
- 2
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
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