Pretzel Bun Recipe

Pretzel bun sliced horizontally and presented on a baking tray.

5 stars (1 rating)

This easy pretzel bun recipe bakes up crusty & chewy, with the most pillowy-soft centers! So good for burgers & sandwiches!

Prep Time1

Cook Time35

Rising Time2

Total Time3 35

Course: Uncategorized

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pretzel bun, pretzel bun recipe, pretzel buns

Servings:

Calories: 337kcal

Ingredients

To Make the Pretzel Bun Dough

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 ounce active dry yeast (approx. 2 teaspoons)
3 cups bread flour (approx.)
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt plus extra for garnish
1 cup beer (or water)
1/4 cup unsalted butter melted

Additionally

egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 2 teaspoons or so of water)
water for boiling
1/3 cup baking soda

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the brown sugar in a large bowl and pour in the warm water.
Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to become foamy (approx. 5 to 10 minutes).
Stir in about 2 1/2 cups of flour along with the salt, beer, and melted butter.
Continue adding flour as needed, until a stiff dough forms. (The dough should gather itself into a ball and pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.)
Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test (approx. 10 to 15 minutes).*
Remove the dough from the bowl, mist the bowl with non-stick spray, then return the dough to the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rise until doubled in volume (approx. 90 minutes).
Punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal portions.
Roll each portion of dough into a tight ball, press it slightly flatter, and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Mist a sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick spray and allow the shaped rolls to rise until doubled in volume (approx. 30 minutes).**
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add the baking soda to the boiling water (be careful, it will fizz up!).
Gently place the unbaked rolls in the water (taking care not to deflate them) and allow them to boil for about a minute on each side.
Drain the boiled rolls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with additional salt for garnish.
Score the unbaked buns with an "x" shape, using a sharp knife or baker's lame.
Bake the pretzel buns until deeply browned and shiny (approx. 20 to 24 minutes).

Notes

*Pinch off a little piece of dough and using your fingertips, stretch it gently from the center outward. You should be able to pull it tissue-thin without it tearing. It should be so thin you can see light passing through it, just like a windowpane.

**For overnight pretzel buns, place the shaped, covered buns in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Then allow them to come to room temperature, rise to twice their original volume, and continue with the recipe directions.

Nutrition