Homemade Pretzel Bread (Pretzel Rolls)
Posted Dec 20, 2017, Updated Jul 15, 2023
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The best Homemade Pretzel Bread (or Pretzel Rolls) recipe. Once you make this you will never be able to eat store-bought pretzel bread again! It’s dense, soft, chewy, buttery, salty and irresistibly delicious.
This Homemade Pretzel Bread is the best bread you will ever eat in your life. I am not exaggerating either. It is one of my most requested recipes and everyone who tries it asks for the recipe. It’s dense, soft, chewy, buttery, salty and unbelievably delicious. Serve it with a side of this homemade cheese sauce and you’ll be in heaven!
I know making homemade bread can seem intimidating, but don’t worry! We’ve created a video that shows you how to make this homemade pretzel bread step-by-step! And if there’s a recipe that’s worth conquering your kitchen fears for, this is definitely it.
I have also included instructions for how to make pretzel rolls as well! Pretzel rolls make a great smaller serving size option. They also make delicious hamburger buns for homemade burgers.
How to Make Homemade Pretzel Bread
If making homemade bread sounds intimidating to you…your’e in luck! There are two ways to make the dough.
- The first is to simply toss all the ingredients in a bread machine and set it to the “dough cycle.” Even the most sheepish bread-makers can do that, right?
- The other method involves mixing and kneading the dough using a standing mixer or your hands!
I like to do the latter because I can be sure every step of the process is going exactly the way it should be! However, I have used my bread machine with the same delicious results!
Rise once
If you are familiar to the process of making homemade bread, you will notice that there is one unique step to the dough-making process for this recipe.
Baking soda bath.
Once the dough is degassed, form it in to the size and shape you want. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, 4 small loaves, or 8-10 rolls/buns!
Once you’ve formed the dough, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.
Boil the pretzel bread one portion a time in the soda bath for 60 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the bath and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt and repeat with remaining dough..
(Note: I use a skimmer spoon like this to take the dough out of the boiling baking soda bath and remove excess water).
Bake immediately.
Once the dough is removed from the boiling baking soda bath and formed into loaves/buns, immediately place it on a greased baking sheet, cut an X in the top and sprinkle with Coarse Sea Salt (I use this).
Brush with melted butter.
As soon as the loaves/buns/rolls come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool just enough to eat! This bread is best served warm and eaten the day it’s made! However, it does reheat well and makes a killer turkey sandwich.
How to make pretzel rolls
This recipe makes the best pretzel rolls. To make pretzel rolls, follow the recipe exactly, except make a few slight changes:
- Divide dough into eight equal pieces.
- Boil each dough ball for 30 seconds on each side, remove from the water, transfer to a baking sheet, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through.
That’s it! then brush each of the pretzel rolls with melted butter and enjoy as rolls or hamburger buns with the best burger recipe (YUM)!.
To make in advance
You can make the dough and store it in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready to bake the pretzel bread, remove the dough from the fridge or freezer to let it come to room temperature and rise. Then continue on with the recipe including the baking soda bath, baking, etc.
Serve
Serve warm as a side to your favorite main dish recipes. We love dipping it in this homemade cheese sauce or slathering it with honey butter.
Store
You can store homemade pretzel bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating it before eating it to restore it’s fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Freeze
You can also freeze baked loaves of pretzel bread. Let them cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and put them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the oven set to warm covered in foil or in a dutch oven.
Homemade Pretzel Bread: Ingredient Substitutions
As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as written, however here are a few possible substitutions!
- Whole Milk. 2% milk works well. I do this often with great results! Half & half or cream also work well!
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
- Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar works equally well in this recipe.
That’s it! I really don’t recommend tinkering with this recipe any more!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I often double this recipe to make 4 loaves when we have company, or to make 16 pretzel rolls.
Yes, the baking soda bath is necessary to create the outer pretzel crust.
A lot of people wonder how a soft pretzel is different from bread! The answer is that the dough is boiled before it is baked! Boiling the dough in the baking soda & water bath is the step in this recipe that gives this Homemade Pretzel Bread it’s pretzel-y identity!
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Homemade Pretzel Bread (Pretzel Rolls)
Ingredients
Pretzel Bread Dough
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 cup warm water 105-110 degrees F
- 2 TBS whole milk
- 3 TBS brown sugar
- 4 TBS butter melted
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Baking Soda Bath
- 4 quarts water
- ½ cup baking soda
Topping
- 1-2 TBS coarse sea salt
- 2 TBS butter melted
Instructions
- Combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let stand for 5 minutes (until foamy).
- While yeast is proofing…melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in milk and set aside.
- Once yeast is proofed, add milk/butter to yeast mixture and mix on low speed with dough hook until just combined.
- Add salt and flour and mix with dough hook until flour is fully incorporated.
- Knead in a mixer until the dough forms a slightly tacky, but firm ball, you may need to add a little more flour 1 TBS at a time, but be careful, you want your dough a little tacky but not too sticky to handle.
- Oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel in a warm place to let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda a little bit at a time (Be careful not to add too much at once or you will have a baking soda/water explosion)!
- Remove the dough from the bowl and gently press out the air bubbles.
- Make two balls of dough the same size (NOTE: The total weight of the dough comes out to be about 800 g, so each loaf should weigh about 400 g), forming them into the shape you want (Do not let it rise at all here! Straight from forming the ball into the water).
- Drop one of the balls into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet.
- Immediately sprinkle coarse sea salt over the bread to your specific tastes, and use a knife to cut a small "X" on the top of the bread.
- Repeat with second ball of dough. (Do not let it rise at all here! Straight from boiling into the oven).
- Bake the bread for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.
- Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the loaves to guarantee a soft crust. Transfer to a wire rack to cool just enough to enjoy!
- *You can reheat it on a low temp covered in foil if you decide to make it a bit ahead of time. I cover it with a tea towel or something if I’m not going to serve it right away.
Video
Notes
How to make Pretzel Rolls
This recipe makes the best pretzel rolls. To make pretzel rolls, follow the recipe exactly, except make a few slight changes:- Divide dough into eight equal pieces.
- Boil each dough ball for 30 seconds on each side, remove from the water, transfer to a baking sheet, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through.
To make in advance
You can make the dough and store it in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake the pretzel bread, remove the dough from the fridge or freezer to let it come to room temperature and rise. Then continue on with the recipe including the baking soda bath, baking, etc.Ingredient Substitutions
- Whole Milk. 2% milk works well! I do this often with great results! Half & half or cream also work well!
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
- Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar works equally well in this recipe.
Store
You can store homemade pretzel bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating it before eating it to restore it’s fresh-from-the-oven texture.Freeze
You can also freeze baked loaves of pretzel bread. Let them cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and put them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the oven set to warm covered in foil or in a dutch oven.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ritch absolutely adores this bread, and since it’s one of his favorite recipes of all time I thought I’d let him share his thoughts about it with you:
“My wife’s pretzel bread is one of the most amazing things that I have ever eaten. The only thing better than a loaf of this homemade pretzel bread is MORE loaves of pretzel bread! Sometimes when we have friends over to dinner— and Laura asks for meal ideas—I am torn as to whether or not to suggest this bread, simply because I can’t handle watching other people eat MY FAVORITE BREAD. (I smile, and politely pass the bowl, but secretly…I’m watching every movement…praying that they leave more for ME!) Fresh out of the oven, this bread beats any other meal that comes out of my home (IMHO), and a loaf of this stuff literally makes the “top 3 list” of things I would want with me on a deserted island. So basically, I HIGHLY recommend this recipe. -Husband”
(<-he signed it that way, not me! LOL!)There you have it folks, this Pretzel Bread is definitely husband approved! And I can attest to the fact that he will eat an entire loaf by himself if he doesn’t have to share.
More delicious recipes
- This easy No-Knead Bread is a staple in our house.
- The absolute best homemade French bread! YUM!
- We love making these dinner rolls for holiday celebrations.
- This whole wheat bread makes the best sandwiches!
- And these cinnamon rolls are always a hit!
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I am making this now. I’m at the one hour rise point. Wondering how small a “small incision” is…. I’m planning to make 4 loaves
I would make an “X” on top with each line about 1″ long!
Thanks, that’s what I did 😊
It was a great hit here & I will definitely make it again
Thank you Cynthia!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! My husband literally goes nuts whenever I make this bread for him! 😉
Quick question…Is there any way you could make this ahead and bake a little later? I know its not allowed to over rise, but any other set perhaps?
I’m making this for a supper club at a friend’s house and I want it hot out of the oven. I’m planning to bake it there 🙂
Thoughts?
Hey Jennie! Here are some ideas….1) I have made the dough and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator…then when I was ready to bake it I just took it out of the fridge, put it in the boiling baking soda/water bath and baked. So, if you store the dough in the fridge and it comes to room temperature as you head on over to your friend’s house…then you could do both the water bath step and the baking step there you should be good to go. 2) My dad makes the whole loaf ahead of time and then warms it in foil in the oven (which is a possibility). Really the most important thing is that as soon as the dough comes out of the boiling baking/soda water bath it goes directly into the oven. I have removed it from the oven and covered in a tea towel to keep it warm too…although if you don’t eat right away when you arrive at your supper club (which sounds like FUN), it may not retain the warmth. Does this help?
Can you clarify the bread machine instructions, please? Going to step 5 negates the benefit of using a machine.
Hey Hope! I use the bread machine to knead and rise the dough. I think it makes it much easier than kneading by hand and preparing the perfect environment for a great rise! 😉 After the dough has risen you remove it, boil in the baking soda bath and bake in the oven (NO second rise). Does this make sense?
Thank you for clarifying the bread machine part, Laura. I made this the other day and after it came out of the bread machine went to Step 7 and let it raise again. It was very good but fluffier than yours. Probably should read, go to step 8.
This bread sounds sooooo good, and looks amazing. I’m using gr instead of cups,so I hope nothing go’s wrong 😀. Big happy thanks from Estonia😀😀😀
I would love to hear how it turned out Kristi!!!!
Omg so soooooo good😀 Thank You my dear😀😀😀
I made this bread yesterday and it came out unbelievably delicious! I saved a small piece and am eating it as I write this and just had to write and thank you for posting the recipe. I will make this again and again! Perfect!
Do you have suggestions for those of us who don’t have stand mixers? Is there a way to knead with our hands without kneading with our hands? Thanks!
Hey Emi! Absolutely! You can mix the ingredients and knead by hand!
Emi, I make bread all the time by hand. The best way to “mix” your dough without a mixer is to use a dough whisk. I got mine from Amazon: The Original Kitchen 13.5-Inch Stainless Steel Danish Dough Whisk, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQQJ3N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mUQ6ybMKRR5ES
Oh my goodness, I need this in my life! I love making pretzels, but the whole rolling process can take to long for me – this is a win!
I love this bread because it’s so dense and chewy and delicious! 🙂 Rolling pretzels is definitely a pain!
Oh this looks delicious! I love making bread — gonna try this soon. Pinned. 🙂
Pretzel bread is my absolute favorite! But I am so intimated by bread… or maybe just by yeast. Either way, I need to get over that fear and make this bread!
I’ve never made bread before if you divide the loaf into rolls, what would be the baking time?
Hey Tina! I’d check the rolls after about 15 minutes!
I am cracking up at your husbands take on this recipe. My husband is a pretzel bread lover as well. Baking bread seems intimidating to me, but this seems so worth it!
Hey Emily! LOL! My hubby is a goofball! 🙂 It is SO SO worth it! I seriously can’t buy bread at the store because homemade is so much better!