Salty and chewy with a tender, airy middle, our homemade Pretzel Rolls carry a deep, buttery flavor that lingers just long enough to make you reach for another.
That warm, malty aroma drifts through the house and has everyone peeking into the kitchen like something’s ready, even if it isn’t.
Pretzels trace back to 7th century European monks who shaped leftover dough into crossed praying arms and gave these pretiola (“little rewards”) to children for learning their prayers.
A thousand years later, Ashkenazi Jewish bakers brought them to New York and made traditional pretzels a deli staple.
And in the early 2000s, soft pretzels took on the shape of Pretzel Rolls, built for burgers and made to carry something worth biting into.
These soft pretzel buns look like dinner rolls, but that deep pretzel flavor makes every bite a real treat.
Our Pretzel Rolls are easy to pull off, pair with everything from burgers to Thanksgiving turkey, and feel way fancier than they have any right to.
They’ve got that soft pretzel dough magic that makes people stop and say, “Wait, you made these?”
Serve these Pretzel Rolls with our Hearty Beef Barley Soup and let the table settle into that quiet kind of happy, or pair them with our Juicy Smoked Burgers for a bun that knows how to make an impression.
Ingredients for Pretzel Rolls
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Pretzel Rolls recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
What Kind of Flour Should I Use?
All-purpose flour gives these homemade soft pretzel rolls that classic balance of softness and chew. For a sturdier bite, use bread flour or add a spoonful of toasted malted rye flour for a richer, deeper flavor.
Unbleached wheat flour adds structure without going dense, but skip pastry or cake flour, which won’t give the dough enough strength.
To test if your dough’s ready after the first rise, try the windowpane test. Pinch off a small piece and gently stretch it. If it forms a thin, light-catching sheet without tearing, your gluten’s in good shape.
How to Make Pretzel Rolls
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Pretzel Rolls in your home kitchen.
- Add the instant yeast and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. The water should be 105-110°F, any hotter may kill the yeast.
- Whisk to combine, then let the mixture sit for 1 minute so the yeast can bloom at room temperature.
- Add the salt and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix to combine using the dough hook attachment.
- Slowly add 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed until the dough is thick. Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add ¼–½ cups more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
- Continue to knead the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes. Or by hand on a lightly floured work surface. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft.
- Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover it with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Place it in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen and let it rise until it has doubled in size, 60-90 minutes. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, take it out of the bowl, and knead it for about 30 seconds.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 10 – 12 equal portions, each about 3 ounces.
- Using well-floured hands, roll each piece of dough between your hands to form smooth dough balls with surface tension. Place rolls on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap for the second rise, placing them in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen until puffy, 15 – 20 minutes.
- Bring 9 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda to a low boil in a large pot.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the pretzel dough balls to the baking soda water bath, leaving them in the water for about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, allowing the excess water to drip off. Do the rolls one or two at a time. Don’t try to do too many at once.
- Place the rolls on the sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife or baker’s razor blade, cut a cross into the top of each one. Brush each of them with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Whether you serve them at a holiday feast, a backyard cookout, or a quiet weeknight dinner, Pretzel Rolls bring that handmade touch that gently enriches the moment.
One bite, and you’re out there adding “baker” to your profile like no one’s gonna notice.
Keep leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To reheat, pop them in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds until warm.
To freeze, wrap tightly and store for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but you’ll need to activate it first. Stir the active dry yeast into warm water with a pinch of sugar and let it sit until foamy before adding it to the dough.
It’s totally normal for pretzel dough to feel a bit sticky at first. That’s often caused by too much water or humid conditions. Just flour your hands and the work surface, and keep kneading until it starts to smooth out.
Absolutely. After the first rise, place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Let it come back to room temperature before shaping and baking.
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Pretzel Rolls
Ingredients
Pretzel Rolls
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for working the dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast one envelope (¼ ounce)
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 ¼ cups water lukewarm 105- 110°F
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Baking Soda Bath
- 9 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2-3 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Add the yeast and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook and whisk to combine. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute. The water should be 105-110 degrees F. Water any hotter may kill the yeast.
- Add the salt, and melted butter to the yeast mixture. MIx to combine.
- Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mixing with the dough hook until the dough is thick. Add the remaining flour and mis until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add ¼–½ cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
- Continue to knead the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes. Or by hand on a lightly floured work surface. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, and cover with a clean kitchen towel, or plastic wrap.
- Place it in a warm draft free area of your kitchen and let it rise until it has doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.
- When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, take it out of the bowl, and knead it for about 30 seconds.
- Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 10 – 12 equal portions. They will be about 3 ounces each.
- Using well floured hands, roll a portion of the dough between both hands until the top is round and firm. Place the completed roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place until puffy, for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the water and baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the pretzel dough balls to the boiling water, leaving them in the water for about 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon and remove the dough balls from water, allowing the excess water to drip offDo the rolls one or two at a time. Don't try to do to many at once.
- Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut a cross into the top of each one using a sharp knife.
- Brush each of them with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, and serve warm.
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