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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Stumbled across this recipe by happenstance. I thought it would be perfect for a cheesy vegetable chowder I was planning on making. This bread stole the show. It’s absolutely fabulous. Family was asking if I could make it every night.
I want to make this bread today. Just have one quick question! Where does Kosher Salt to taste get added in?
Hey Paula! I fixed that in the recipe (not sure how I didn’t see that before)! There is 1 tsp sea salt in the dough, which I do not recommend changing the amount of! Then you can decide how much coarse sea salt (which is usually kosher) you would like to sprinkle on top…however I recommend not being too stingy with the amount because the salty/buttery crust is the best part (in my opinion)!
The bread turned out great, and a huge hit! but I used the bread machine and the dough was so runny and sticky I couldn’t shape it at all. Should have I added flour to it to help shape it (sorry I’m really new to bread making). Thank you for the recipe!
Shea,
Tickled about this recipe!! 🙂 . And it was such a fun article to read.
I’ll be using the Dough setting at 1 1/2lbs on my Breadman bread machine. It’s going now, and genuinely sounds like a grunting troll on my counter.
I think there’s a miss in the directions that those of us with lesser kitchen know-how might miss completely. If this is correct, these last 4 items in the list are kept OUT of the bread machine:
4 quarts water
½ cup baking soda
1-2 TBS coarse sea salt
2 TBS butter melted
I wonder if that’s where things went sideways for you?
I can recall my first abysmal fail at pretzel bread (2 days of making that frankenbread). And with a series of what later seemed a cruel run of bleach-bottles-are-empty-blonde-moments in mind, I’m scratching my head, wondering how I’ll maintain an oven at 400 while adding baking soda, and then 60-90 seconds later flipping this monster in its bath on an unstable (the rack pulled a bit out) surface. yikes! My inner-brunette returns and I realize it’d be better to use the stove top for the bath and follow that up with the baking of the bread in the oven.
I think the directions are meant as
Preheat oven to 400F.
Next, boil water (stove top) for the bath…
Drain the loaves to best of ability and
Then, put the loaves on the oiled pans and toss those beauties in the oven! 🙂
This is what I will try and hope to let you know how it “pans” out.. ; )
Best bread wishes!
Can you double this recipe?
Yes absolutely!
This pretzel bread is great! Hubby is lactose intolerant so I left out the milk and used melted ghee instead of butter and I got 8 dense, delicious rolls. The recipe I typically use calls for white sugar (and quite a bit more of it) so this is a little less sweet than that recipe but I prefer it and will be using your recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sarah! And what a great tip on making it dairy free! 🙂
I paired this bread with an ale cheddar soup, it was fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
Fool proof! It was soft and delicious. My family finished it within minutes.
I just made my first ever Pretzel Bread, and have no reason to search for another recipe. Too easy! We will definitely be making this again, and will try making buns as well. Immediately after brushing the baked loaves with butter, I delivered one loaf to some friends. Twenty minutes later, they called, giving it a big thumbs up, and reporting that their loaf was gone.
I made this last night and it turned out well except it was a little too doughy in the middle. I think I took it out a couple minutes earlier than I should have. It was a nice dark brown color on the outside but not quite there in the middle. I will make it again, though! We ate it up immediately.
Hi! I just got the loaves of the oven! I am regularly baking bread and this recipe is the tastiest I have ever made!! The only thing I have to say is that they did not rise as yours even though I followed the recipe step by step and the yeast activated accordingly. Maybe next time I try one big loaf instead of two. Any ideas what went wrong?
P.S: please give metric (grams, ml) measurements to the recipes also!!