Pretzel Buns

Chewy and salty on the outside and soft on the inside. These homemade pretzel buns are delicious and easy to make. They can be enjoyed on their own or used as a bun for sandwiches or hamburgers.

I LOVE pretzel buns. You can use them for hamburger buns but I prefer just to eat the on their own as a snack. Best of all they're easy to make than the classic soft pretzels. They have the same taste as soft pretzels, but in bun form.

Why This Recipe Works

Use basic ingredients. This recipe uses basic ingredients that you probably already have in you cupboards.

Easy to make than soft pretzels. Shaping pretzels can be tricky and take a lot of practice. Shaping the bread into buns is much easier to do.

Tastes amazing. These buns have the same taste and texture of a soft pretzel but in bun form.

Texture. These buns have a slight crunchy and chewy outside and a soft and pillowy texture inside.

How to Make the Pretzel Buns

Making the Dough

To make these pretzel buns first you have to activate the yeast. Do this by measuring out 1 and 1/4 cup of warm water (bath temperature) and mix in the yeast and sugar. Let this sit for 10 minutes, you will see a layer of foam form when activated.

When the yeast has been activated add it to the flour along with the melted butter. Start on a low speed setting and mix until the dough begins to form. After dough has come together continue kneading for 7 minutes.

Remove the dough, grease the bowl, and add the dough back in. Spin it around a few times to grease the top of the dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

Shaping the Pretzel Buns

After rising, gently punch the dough down and remove from the bowl. Divide dough into 8 equal size pieces (you can just eye ball it). Form each dough into a ball. Shape each portion into a ball. Do this by pulling at the sides and tucking the access dough underneath.

Once the ball is formed place it on the counter with the tucked side down. Cup the dough with both hands and turn the ball in one direction. This will help tighten the shape. Keep doing this for about a minute or until you feel some tension in the dough.

Place formed buns on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 20 minutes or so while you get the oven preheated and water boiling.

Boiling the Buns

Preheat the oven and boil water and baking soda in a large pot. You want to use a large pot because the baking soda makes a lot of bubbles. Drop dough balls in two at a time (you don't want to over crowd) and let boil for 30 seconds per side. After boiled remove with a slotted spoon and place on the baking tray.

With a sharp knife score an X on top of each bun and coat with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until bread is a deep brown colour. Let buns cool on the pan a little before enjoying.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

STORING THE Buns

These buns are best served on the day they are made. You can keep them at room temperature for 2 days but the salt will start to melt.

WHAT DOES SPOONED AND LEVELLED FLOUR MEAN?

Spooned and levelled flour refers to the way of measuring flour. To properly measure flour you should scoop spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and then level off the access by scraping with a knife. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour causes the flour to compress and you will get more flour than the recipe calls for.

Why do I need to do a baking soda bath for the pretzels?

The baking soda bath is what gives pretzels that thick dark brown crust. Without it the pretzel buns will just look like regular buns. It also gives the pretzels that classic tangy taste.

How Do I know if my yeast is activated?

You'll know your yeast is activated when it starts to develop a foam on top. See picture above. If it does not activate it may be that your yeast is old and has gone bad. Or your water was not warm enough.

If you make these pretzel buns please leave a star rating and comment below!

For more delicious baking ideas you can follow me on Pinterest and Instagram @jessiebakestreats 

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Pretzel Buns

Jessie M

Chewy and salty on the outside and soft on the inside. These homemade pretzel buns are delicious and easy to make. They can be enjoyed on their own or used as a bun for sandwiches or hamburgers.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 21 mins

Rising Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Dinner, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian, German

Servings 8 buns

Equipment

• large bowl
• baking pan
• pot

Ingredients

  

Pretzel Buns

• 1 & 1/4 C warm water
• 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1/4 C salted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
• 3 & 1/2 C all purpose flour spooned and levelled*
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil for greasing the bowl

Boiling Pretzels

• 1/2 C baking Soda
• 6 C water boiled
• coarse sea salt for topping

Instructions

 

Making the Pretzel Dough

• In a small measuring cup add warm water, yeast, and sugar. Gently stir and set aside for 10 minutes. This will activate the yeast and you will see and you will see a foam form.
  1 & 1/4 C warm water, 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, 1 tsp white sugar
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, add in the flour and the salt, mix together.
  3 & 1/2 C all purpose flour, 2 tsp salt
• Add in the activated yeast mixture and salted butter.
  1/4 C salted butter
• Use a dough hook on a stand mixer on low speed or mix by hand until the dough is formed. It should form one cohesive ball that is not sticky and manageable to touch, and no flour/dough sticking to the sides or bottom of the bowl.
• Once dough is formed continue kneading for about another 6-7 minutes. You can tell the dough is kneaded well if it can be stretched well without breaking or you can gently press down on it with your finger and the dough puffs back up.
• Remove kneaded dough from bowl and add about 1/2 tbsp of oil to grease the bowl. Once greased add dough back in the bowl. Flip dough over a few times to grease the top of the ball.
  1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and place somewhere warm to rise. Let rise for an hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Shaping the Pretzel Buns

• Once dough has doubled in size gently punch it down, remove from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface.
• Knead the dough by hand for about a minute. Then divide dough into 8 equal sized portions.
• Shape each portion into a ball. Do this by pulling at the sides and tucking the access dough underneath. Once the ball is formed place it on the counter with the tucked side down. Cup the dough with both hands and turn the ball in one direction. This will help tighten the shape. Keep doing this for about a minute or until you feel some tension in the dough.
• Place formed dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise while you get the oven preheated and the water ready to boil.

Boiling the Pretzels

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• In a large pot bring water and baking soda to a boil. You want to use a large pot because the baking soda water makes lots of bubbles.
  6 C water, 1/2 C baking Soda
• Once boiled lower in the pretzel buns in two at a time. Boil for 30 seconds then flip the buns and boil the other side for 30 seconds. Remove the buns and place on the parchment paper.
• Once removed, use a sharp knife score an X patter on the top of each boiled bun and generously sprinkle with course sea salt. Continue these two steps with all the buns.
  coarse sea salt
• Bake for 20-22 minutes or until bread is a deep brown colour. Let buns cool on the pan a little before enjoying.

Notes

*Spooned and levelled flour refers to the way of measuring flour. To properly measure flour you should scoop spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and then level off the access by scraping with a knife. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour causes the flour to compress and you will get more flour than the recipe calls for.

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