You absolutely have to try these perfect easy Bavarian pretzel rolls! They’re soft, fairly light pretzel buns with a chewy and salty crust around the outside that’s perfectly golden brown too.
I promise you that you’ll never need another pretzel roll recipe after trying this one!
These pretzel buns are an absolute must-try recipe for any baker! It’s almost addictive - well, they certainly taste addictive anyway!
Plus, it’s nice to have a savory baking recipe that isn’t just regular bread or bread rolls - a little bit of changing things up is never a bad thing!
🥨What are pretzels?
Originally, pretzels (Brezel) are a baked good made from dough that’s usually shaped into a knot - the famous pretzel knot. They are traditionally dipped in lye, which is a sodium hydroxide solution.
Now, this may sound a little alarming and technical, but don’t worry!
- Lye is only dangerous in very high concentrations - far higher than any amount that you’d find in food!
- We aren’t going to use lye in this recipe anyway - we’re going to use baking soda.
📜Laugenbrötchen History
In Bavaria (an area in Southern Germany), pretzel (Brezel) was used as an emblem for bakers since at least the 1200s.
Pretzels aren’t just popular there though! They may have always been associated with the region, but during Oktoberfest, the whole country runs on pretzels and beer! It sounds like my kind of party if I’m honest!
It was actually burger joints and pubs who had the genius idea to include hot pretzels in their menus. After all, salty bar snacks always go down well and it’s nice to be able to enjoy giant hot pretzels with spicy mustard dipping sauce or ranch without having to attend a baseball game!
The good news is that now you can get these pretzel rolls without even having to leave the house! And, you don’t have to rely on other people either - you can bake these bad boys whenever the craving hits you!
🛒Ingredients and Notes
The dough for these easy pretzels is a yeasted dough, so this means that while you have to leave plenty of time for them to rise, they’re lovely and light inside. Otherwise, non-yeasted bread tends to be too dense or crumbly.
- All-purpose flour - you don’t need any fancy bread flour or anything for this one!
- Sea salt - because it’s not a savory pretzel unless it’s seasoned well!
- Canola oil - or another neutral-flavored oil
- Active dry yeast - this recipe doesn’t require fresh yeast or a sourdough starter either, which helps to keep things cheap since most bakers usually have yeast in the pantry!
- Milk - this helps to keep the rolls soft, moist and light but still with a rich flavor
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling over the top
- Baking soda (and a fair lot of it!)
The amount of flour will vary depending on a large number of factors such as humidity, temperature, and altitude.
So, for this recipe, just add flour until it’s slightly stiffer than for regular rolls but still relatively soft. Go by the appearance and texture of the dough rather than a strict quantity.
🧂Salting the pretzel buns
A pretzel not topped with coarse salt is actually called a “baldie”! So, if you make this recipe without sprinkling the coarse salt on top then you have made a “Bavarian baldie!” - try saying that 3 times fast!
🔪Step by Step Instructions
This recipe might look like a 2-hour-long nightmare, but don’t worry - these homemade Bavarian pretzel rolls aren’t actually that much work - and they’re more than worth the work that you do put in!
Trust me - I’ve made enough of them to know!
- Start the dough - mix the yeast with lukewarm milk and let it rest for 10 minutes. Add the canola oil and warm water. In a separate bowl, whisk 5 ¾ cups of flour and a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl, then mix in the yeast mixture.
- Knead the dough - knead in the bowl until mostly smooth. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky to be easily handled. It’s normal for the dough to be somewhat stiff.
- Rest the dough - cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour. Punch down the dough and knead it in the bowl for another minute.
- Shape the rolls - cut the dough into 15 pieces, then form balls by pulling the dough under. Place the balls on a well-greased surface and let it rise for 15 minutes.
- “Bath” the pretzels - get the pretzel “bath” recipe by bringing water, salt, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Put 3 dough balls into the water and let them boil for one minute total. Transfer them to a well-greased baking sheet with a slotted spoon, then cut 2-3 lines across each roll with a serrated knife. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake - preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pretzels are a rich brown color.
🍲How to Serve It?
These Bavarian pretzel rolls are absolutely perfect for sandwiches! I like mine with plenty of salty butter or mayo, juicy tomato slices, lettuce, and bacon - a BLT is great on a pretzel roll! Especially if said bacon is lovely and hot so that the fat melts into the soft inside of the chewy pretzel buns!
Or, you can pull these rolls apart to dip in any of your favorite dips (a nacho cheese one would be perfect!).
In pubs, you can get these pretzel buns served on a tray as an appetizer or even served as a hamburger bun! The perfectly golden outside with fluffy, steamy center is absolutely perfect with a nice juicy burger piled high with all the essentials!
Personally, though, I like to serve mine with a nice hearty stew as this is how many Germans would typically eat them. Something like this traditional German Hunter Cabbage Stew or Instant Pot Beef Stew.
They’re especially perfect with this beer and cheddar soup - after all, it’s not a party without beer, cheese, and pretzels! This combination is perfect for game day parties in particular.
❓FAQs
I’d have to recommend that you eat them the same day for best results as homemade bread doesn’t last as long as store-bought.
However, if you don’t manage to eat them all, then store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Due to the type of flour and air moisture, you might have to add more flour than recommended below. That is totally fine. See additional notes in the recipe box.
Absolutely! Freeze your buns after they're baked and cooled down. Reheat frozen rolls wrapped in foil, in a 350 F hot oven for 5-10 minutes. If you want a crispy crust, you can also unwrap for just a few minutes.
💗Related Recipes
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Easy Bavarian Pretzel Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Large pot
- baking sheet
- Slotted spoon
- Serrated knife
Ingredients
The Dough
- 6 - 7 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 ½ cups milk slightly warmed
- 1 cup water slightly warmed
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
The "Bath"
- 7 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 tablespoons baking soda
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, mix yeast with warmed milk and let rest for 10 minutes. Whisk 5 ¾ cups of flour and teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
- Add canola oil and warm water to the yeast mixture. Pour into bowl with flour and salt. Knead in the bowl until dough is mostly smooth. Only add more flour if your dough cannot be easily handled. The dough will be somewhat stiff. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and put in a warm place to rise for one hour.
- Punch down dough and knead in bowl for one minute. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and into 15 pieces. (Cut more pieces if you would like smaller size rolls.) Form balls by pulling the dough under. Place on a well-greased surface. Let the dough balls rise for 15 minutes.
- While the dough balls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and get the pretzel "bath" ready. In a large pot, bring water, salt, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Plunge three dough balls into the water and let them "poach" for 1 minute total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a well-greased baking sheet.
- With a serrated knife, cut 2-3 lines across each roll and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pretzels are a rich brown. Let rolls cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- HOW MUCH FLOUR? Humidity, temperature, altitude, and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your yeast doughs. For these pretzels, keep adding flour until it is slightly stiffer than regular rolls (but still soft), so go by the texture and look and feel of the dough rather than how much flour you've added compared to the recipe.
- It is recommended that these be eaten the same day, as they are the best when they are the freshest, of course.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on products used.
Just made this recipe and I have to agree with Brian who said there was too much liquid to flour. However, after adding a lot more flour to make a dough that could be kneaded, the rolls came out great! I was a little concerned that the extra flour would be too much for the yeast but it was fine. I’ll make these again and, this time, I won’t worry when I put in so much more flour then the recipe called for. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Rebecca, thanks for giving our recipe a try! I can only think that the difference in the dough consistency is due to the type of flour and air moisture. So many Pinterest users who shared with me their success in baking these rolls have not mentioned they had to add more flour, and it was certainly enough for me. ♀️
Can you substitute the milk with a non dairy one?
I don't see why not! 🙂
Hi, is the yeast supposed to proof in the milk on the first step? Should it be foamy? I didn’t know if it needed sugar to do this. I was going to check before going through with the rest of the recipe!
Yes, you should leave it for 10 minutes to rest as instructed. No sugar necessary. 🙂
After the rolls rise, when I pick them up they simply deflate and I need to roll them againg to get them into the bath. Is this normal? The recipe steps don't say.
They deflate somewhat but not to the extent that you need to roll them again. Perhaps your dough is a bit softer, but it should rise in the oven.
Hi, just wondering if you can use a different oil other than canola? Just realized I ran out.
Thanks!
Of course, use vegetable or corn oil, or whatever you have on hand! 🙂
I followed your recipe but my dough never formed into a ball. Even after rising the dough was too sticky to knead it form into balls. What did I do wrong?
So sorry to hear that! The dough is a finicky creature. The type of yeast, flour, and even the condition of the air can all contribute to the dough to turn out differently every time. Kneading long enough helps or adding more flour as indicated in directions (#2): "Only add more flour if your dough cannot be easily handled."
Hope you'll give it another chance. 🙂
You recipe got incorrect fluid volume. 2 1/2 cup milk + 1 cup warm water is too much for 7 1/2 cup of flour.
It does seem like a lot, but it's not. You can always add more flour. Check out the notes in the recipe box. 🙂
Please check again on your fluid to flour ratio: 2 1/2 cup milk + 1 cup water is 3.5 cup of fluid = 28 fl oz. Your maximum flour in recipe is 7 1/2 cup. Therefore your recipe got approximately 87.5% fluid-to-flour ratio, which made the flour extremely sticky. You also mentioned add flour as need, but how much flour one should add? Even we take the maximum flour which is 7 1/2 cup of flour as initial dough, that would be 10 oz additional flour to be added until the flour is not sticky. Why don’t you do your maths and experiments before you post the recipe?
I'm really sorry, but there are so many happy bakers who recreated this recipe and shared their photos with me on Pinterest. Wish you could see it! ♀️
Can this recipe be halved? And can they be frozen? If so, when & how TY so much.
Hi, Marilyn! Thanks for your question. Yes, you can definitely half or double the recipe as needed.
I always freeze my bread and buns after they're baked and cooled down. I reheat frozen rolls wrapped in foil, in a 350 F hot oven for 5-10 minutes. If you want a crispy crust, you can also unwrap for just a few minutes. 🙂
These are beautiful. I want to stick my nose in them!! I have a really coarse salt, but it's too big and hurts my teeth - like biting on a grain of sand! I need to track down the baldie salt... thanks!!!
Hi, Mimi! Try grinding the salt or put it in a ziplock and crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet (cheaper than buying new salt). 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
That’s true. But there is something so great about the salt on pretzel breads !
These look SO good! Thanks for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things! I'm featuring you this week and am so happy you joined us! Angelina @ Petite Haus!
Thank you, Angelina! I'm thrilled about the feature 😀
Hi Jas,
Your Bavarian Pretzel Rolls look beautiful! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you much, Miz Helen!
These look SO yummy!
Fascinating history on these, regarding using diluted lye to make these (although great to know your recipe and others don't call for that!) These look quite tasty, especially ( I am guessing) warm... Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday!
Right? Nope, no lye here. 🙂 They are exceptionally good warm!
The perfect roll!!! Really...I could eat these all up by myself!!!
Thanks, Colleen. They do go down easy 😀
I am such a sucker for anything served on a pretzel roll, but I had never considered making my own. Thank so much for the recipe, I can't wait to give it a shot.
Thank you, Kristen! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Wow, these look so yummy. I love when I go to a restaurant and they have pretzel buns. I bet these are even better. I saw your post on FIesta Friday and it caught my eye. I thought I would drop a line to let you know. Thanks again.
Many thanks for visiting and the review, Ronnie! They are quite addictive 🙂