Pretzel Buns

By NicoleS

Ingredients

• FOR THE PRETZEL BUNS:
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup bread flour
• WATER BATH & EXTRAS:
• 3 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• Pretzel salt or coarse ground sea salt, for sprinkling

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 130mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the buns: In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar and honey to 105 to 110 degrees F. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the water mixture and wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes until the yeast blooms.

Add melted butter and garlic salt and the all-purpose flour and bread flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough has come together and is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 7 minutes.

Line 2 baking sheets with greased parchment paper (you don't want to buns to stick!). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and form into a ball. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball or a log and place onto the greased and lined baking sheets. Cover with a dish cloth and let them rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place one oven rack high and one low. Line 2 more baking sheets with greased parchment paper.

While buns are resting, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and then add the baking soda and sugar.

Working with one bun at a time, carefully take it off the parchment or counter, flip it over in your hand and pinch the bottom to form a little pucker and help the dough form a nice, taut ball (or several pinches to tighten the logs). Take care not to deflate the dough; you should pinch just the very edge of the dough.

Place 3-4 dough balls in the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side (the longer you boil, the chewier the baked pretzel roll will be).

With a slotted spatula, remove the dough from the boiling water and let the excess water drip off into the pan. Place the boiled dough balls onto lined baking sheets (lined with lightly greased parchment or a silpat liner).

Sprinkle the buns with pretzel salt as they come out of the water, to ensure the salt sticks. Then cut 2-3 diagonal slits on top of the bread, not too deep.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating between the top and bottom racks of the oven halfway through the cooking.