Pretzel Bread Recipe for Rolls, Buns, Breadsticks & More!

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

If you’re a fan of all things pretzel, you’re in luck. Making homemade pretzel bread is shockingly simple and gives you lots of options. Whether you’re in the market for a pretzel roll sandwich, a soft pretzel with beer cheese dip, or even homemade pretzel bread hot pockets, this simple recipe is your one-stop shop!

Aside from being perfectly chewy and exceptionally delicious, this pretzel bread recipe is:

• Made With Just 7 Basic Ingredients. I’d bet you already have (mostly) everything you need on hand!
• Endlessly Versatile. Pretzel buns and rolls are only just the beginning. In this informative post, I’ll show you how to twist, roll, shape, and stuff pretzel dough into tons of tasty snacks!
• Easy Enough For Baking Beginners. If you’re new to the world of yeasted bread, fear not. I’ll walk you through every step it takes to make the best soft pretzels (and pretzel snacks) around!

🍴Ingredients

As promised, you only need 7 simple, easy-to-find pantry staples to make your own chewy pretzels. Here’s what to grab:

• Boiling Water & Warm Water - Word to the wise here: use filtered water for the best flavor, and be sure to pay attention to the temperatures listed during different steps.
• Baking Soda - You won’t be using baking soda for leavening in this yeasted dough. Rather, it acts as an alkalinizer for the water you’ll boil the dough in, giving your pretzel goodies their signature dark exterior and chewy texture. 
• Instant Dry Yeast - I love how quickly breads made with instant yeast rise (this pretzel roll recipe only needs 15 minutes of proofing time!), but you’re welcome to swap in slower rising active dry yeast instead. Just make sure to adjust your proofing time accordingly if you do!
• Granulated Sugar - You only need a bit of sugar to feed the yeast.
• Sea Salt - For seasoning.
• All-Purpose Flour - You don’t need any fancy flours to make delicious homemade pretzel buns! Just regular white flour will do the trick.
• Egg - Make sure to let it come to room temperature before making the dough for easier mixing.
• Everything But The Bagel Seasoning - Optional, but tasty. Feel free to swap out the seasonings to your personal taste. EBTB seasoning is simply a blend of white and black sesame seeds, sea salt, dried minced garlic and onion, and poppy seeds; any of those would be great on their own, too! You can also top your pretzels with shredded cheese (e.g. parmesan or asiago), chili flakes, or even cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat. Read on below for even more ideas!

⚒️ Equipment

Surprisingly, homemade pretzels don’t require a ton of specialty equipment to make. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Cast-Iron Skillet or Rimmed Baking Sheet - This will depend on the pretzel shape you’re going for. Read below to figure out which works best for what.
• Kitchen Scale - While you technically can swap in measuring cups and spoons, the most surefire way to get consistent results from homemade bread is to use a scale.
• Hand- or Stand-Mixer with Dough Attachment - You can also make this dough entirely by hand if you prefer! If you do, I suggest investing in a Danish whisk; they’re ideal for mixing bread dough.
• Soup Pot - You’ll want something large enough for 5 cups of water to come to a boil and with a wide enough opening at the top that your pretzel shape of choice will fit into.
• Cooling Rack - While this is technically optional, it’ll keep condensation from gathering on the bottoms of your pretzel rolls after they come out of the oven. If you don’t have one, try pulling a rack from the cold oven before you preheat it, or use the rack from your toaster oven.

📖 Step by Step Instructions

This pretzel roll recipe is pretty darn easy, especially considering how tasty it is. Here’s how to make it:

Step1: Rest. Mix & knead the smooth ball of pretzel dough - then cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap (or place in a greased bowl in a warm place) and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes before continuing. 

Step 2: Divide & Shape. Punch dough and divide the dough into 21 equal pieces, about 35 grams each. Create a tight dough balls with each piece of soft dough by rolling and creating tension on your countertop then set aside on a greased piece of parchment paper. 

Note: This shaping method is for pretzel slider buns or mini pretzel rolls. Read on below for different methods of shaping under the “Optional Variations” tab.

Step 3: Brush each pretzel ball with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt and everything but the bagel seasoning.

Step 4: Bake pretzels for 14-16 minutes, until they’ve reached a deep brown before removing them from the oven. 

Step 5: Cool. Allow the hot pretzel buns to cool for 3-4 minutes before removing them from the skillet and allowing them to finish cooling on a wire rack. 

Eat as desired, either by themselves or as a sandwich with cream cheese, egg, or cheese - the options are endless!

⏲️ Pretzel Variations

Perhaps the best thing about this pretzel bread recipe is the sheer number of delicious things you can make with it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Pretzel Hot Dog Buns or Hoagie Rolls - Cut into 6 even pieces in step 5. Shape into oblong ovals about 8 inches long, 2 inches tall, and 2 inches wide. Boil as directed, then score the top with a sharp knife before brushing and baking.
• Pretzel Buns for Hamburgers - Cut into 10 even pieces in step 5. Shape into rounds approximately 5 inches across and 2 inches tall. 
• Spicy Pretzel Challah Twists - Divide the dough into eight pieces of similar sizes in Step 5. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope that is approximately 1 ½ feet in length. Fold the rope in half and twist the rope together until they’ve spiraled together as pictured below. Do one final twist in order to achieve the final twisted pretzel shape before boiling and proceeding.
• Pretzel Breadsticks - Cut into 15 even pieces in step 5. Shape into long coils about 8 inches long and 2 inches around. Boil, drain, brush with egg wash, season as desired, then bake until golden minutes.
• Pretzel Bites - Cut into 30 even pieces in step 5. Shape into long coils about 1 inch around, then use a bench scraper to cut into 1 inch pieces. Boil as directed, then brush with egg wash, season, and bake until golden brown.
• Homemade Pretzel Hot Pockets - Cut into 10 even pieces in step 5. Working one at a time, roll each piece into a rectangle about 5 by 4 inches. Boil and drain. Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of your chosen filling (e.g. shredded cheese and chopped pepperoni) onto half of the slices, leaving about ½ inch border. Wet the exposed edges with egg wash, then top each with another piece of dough. Use a fork to crimp the edges shut, then brush with egg wash, season, and bake for 14-16 minutes.

⏲️ Optional Pretzel Toppings

Aside from shaping the pretzel dough into different snacks, you can also adjust the flavor by trying out different toppings. Feel free to mix and match to find your ideal pretzel. Here are a few ideas to get you started other than coarse sea salt:

• Cinnamon Sugar
• Toffee Crunch
• Melted Butter
• Everything But The Bagel seasoning
• Shredded Cheese
• Pickled Jalapeños or Pickled Garlic
• Ranch Seasoning
• Poppy Seeds
• Caramelized Onions & Roasted Garlic
• Chili Salt
• Truffle Salt

Do you have a bagel topping idea the world should know about? Let me know in the comments below!!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Use lukewarm water to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot, it’ll kill your yeast; if it’s too cold, it won’t wake it up.
• If you’re using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, make sure to proof it separately from the dry ingredients by adding warm water and a touch of sugar. It should start bubbling and getting frothy within about 10 minutes.
• Boil in batches. Make sure you give your pretzels plenty of space in the pot of boiling water so you don’t end up with one large, gooey mass.
• As they cool, condensation will cause the base of the pretzels to amass a touch of moisture, so I would recommend removing them to a cooling rack to maintain the ideal consistency. Then, place in an airtight container until you want to use for sandwich buns or soft pretzel rolls!

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Like I said earlier, the best thing about this pretzel bread recipe is how versatile it is! Here are some ways to serve your pretzels, whatever the shape may be.

• Make a pretzel bread sandwich or slider. Fillings like cream cheese, scrambled eggs , whipped goat cheese, sliced cheese, deli meat, leftover holiday turkey or ham, or roasted veggies are all great options!
• Serve your pretzel twists, bread sticks, or nuggets with marinara sauce, ranch dressing, cream cheese, honey mustard, queso, or this Beer Cheese for pretzels for a savory experience. Or go sweet with salted caramel sauce, buttercream, or a sweet glaze made from powdered sugar and milk.
• Make pretzel buns for your hamburgers, hot dogs, or bratwurst.

💭 Recipe FAQs

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