Pretzel Rolls

Before you start

Pretzel rolls take the alkaline-bath treatment of a twisted pretzel and apply it to a round, softer roll built for sandwiches. The dough here is enriched with milk and a little butter, which keeps the crumb tender enough to bite through with a fillings-stacked sandwich, while the bath gives the outside its deep brown, faintly salty, chewy shell.

The two places this recipe can go wrong are shaping and proofing. Rolls need tight surface tension so they hold a dome in the water, and they should be only modestly puffed when they go in. Fully proofed rolls are fragile, wrinkle in the bath and sometimes collapse. Score the tops after bathing, not before, so the cuts open cleanly in the oven.

Ingredients

• Dough480 g (3¾ cups) bread flour
• 300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 20 g (1½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 9 g (1½ tsp) fine salt
• 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Bath2 L (8½ cups) water
• 70 g (generous ¼ cup) baking soda
• Finish1 to 2 tsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky salt

Method

1. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the warm milk and mix on low until shaggy, then add the soft butter in pieces. Knead on medium-low for 7 to 8 minutes, until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky.
2. Cover and let rise for 50 to 60 minutes, until about doubled.
3. Divide into 12 pieces of about 70 g. Cup each piece under your hand and roll it in small circles on an unfloured counter until it forms a tight, smooth ball with a sealed bottom.
4. Set the rolls on oiled parchment, cover loosely and proof for about 30 minutes, until they look slightly puffy but still spring back quickly when pressed. Meanwhile heat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
5. Bring the water to a simmer in a stainless pot and add the baking soda slowly. Lower 3 or 4 rolls at a time, top side down, for 20 seconds, flip and give them 20 seconds more. Return them to the parchment.
6. While they are still damp, cut a cross or a single slash about 6 mm (¼ in) deep across each top. Sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until deep chestnut brown and the centers read about 90°C (195°F). Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before splitting.

Tips for success

• Do not overproof. Rolls that pass a full poke test before the bath tend to deflate; aim for about 1½ times their shaped size.
• A wet serrated knife or a razor blade gives the cleanest cross on the sticky, bathed surface.
• For sandwich rolls that slice evenly, flatten each shaped ball slightly with your palm before proofing.

Substitutions

Whole milk

Use water with 2 tbsp milk powder. The rolls are a little less soft but keep the same browning.

Bread flour

All-purpose flour gives a softer, less chewy roll. Use 10 g (2 tsp) less milk so the dough is not slack.

Unsalted butter

Neutral oil in the same weight works. The crumb is slightly less rich but still tender.

Variations

Pretzel sliders

Divide into 20 pieces of about 42 g. Proof for 20 minutes, bathe 15 seconds per side and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Everything pretzel rolls

Replace the salt with everything bagel seasoning, pressed on right after scoring.

Troubleshooting

Rolls wrinkled or collapsed after the bath

They were overproofed. Shorten the second rise and bathe them while they still feel springy.

Cross did not open

The cuts were too shallow or made before bathing. Cut after the bath, about 6 mm deep, with a sharp wet blade.

Crust is blotchy

Some areas were not submerged. Spoon bath water over the tops while the rolls float, and dip both sides.

Rolls taste soapy or metallic

Too much soda, or soda that was not dissolved. Measure the soda and add it to simmering water gradually so it dissolves fully.

Storage

Keep unsalted rolls in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days; the crust softens in plastic. Freeze for up to 3 months and refresh at 175°C (350°F) for 6 to 8 minutes.

Safety notes

Do not taste raw dough. Keep the baking soda bath away from eyes and skin and handle the hot pot carefully. Contains wheat and milk.