These no-knead pretzel buns are perfectly soft and sturdy inside with a golden, crispy exterior. Use them as a base for hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, and pretty much any sandwich you can think of!
Your hamburgers and hot dogs aren’t about to know what hit ’em! Homemade pretzel buns are in the house.
And ever since they entered my house, I can’t quite get them to leave.
Homemade buns may seem like a daunting task for the average home cook, but I’m here to tell you that anyone can nail these rolls! All it takes is a little patience and a whole lot of self control for the situation after baking when you have these suckers within arm’s reach.
My favorite part about this recipe is the fact that a) it’s no knead and the dough can just be plopped in the fridge and forgotten about and b) you have the option to make both hot dog rolls AND hamburger rolls.
Cause look, if I’m at a cookout you can bet I’m double-fisting it with both a hot dog and a hamburger, let’s be real. And now that these pretzel rolls are in my life those odds just went way up.
These Pretzel Rolls feature…
- A perfectly soft and chewy interior
- A golden, crusty exterior
- That signature pretzel flavor you know and love
- Option to make dough way ahead of time with no kneading required
Making the Pretzel Rolls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Unsalted butter
- Honey
- Kosher and sea salt
- Bread flour
- Baking soda
- Egg white
Choosing Your Shape
This recipe works well for both hamburger buns or hot dog buns. If I’m hosting a cookout, I typically like to make half and half so guests have options to choose from.
Note: if you choose to shape dough into hot dog buns, I recommend not going any longer in length than 5 inches otherwise it will be difficult to transfer buns to water for boiling.
Tips for Perfect Pretzel Rolls
- Spoon and level flour – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
- Use water at 110F degrees – I recommend temping the water to ensure it’s not over 110F. If you use water that is too warm, it will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise.
- Cold-ferment dough in fridge at least 12 hours or up to 48 – this long cold fermentation step is what builds the structure and flavor of the dough, eliminating the need for kneading.
- Bring dough to room temperature before shaping – remove the dough from the fridge 1-1/2 to 2 hours before you plan to bake the rolls to bring it to room temperature.
- Use flour when shaping dough balls – I recommend keeping a little cup of flour alongside your cutting board while shaping the rolls to dust them with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Use a bench scraper to transfer dough to boiling water – using a bench scraper will help maintain the shape of the rolls.
- Boil rolls 30 seconds – be careful not to let the rolls boil any longer than this otherwise they will get a slight metallic taste.
- Brush rolls with egg wash – this will add a sheen to the rolls and promote browning while they bake.
- Bake rolls at high temperature – a high temperature of 400F will give the rolls a perfectly golden exterior.
Ways to Use Rolls
The sky’s the limit for ways you can use these rolls! Check out our favorite ways below.
- Hamburger buns
- Hot dog or brat buns
- Breakfast sandwiches
- BLTs
- Avocado toast
- BBQ chicken or pork sandwiches
- Slider buns
Storing and Freezing Rolls
These rolls store well at room temperature in an airtight container up to 4 days. For best results, I recommend reheating rolls or toasting for serving.
To freeze rolls, allow to cool completely, store in a sealable bag, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw rolls at room temperature and reheat before serving.
It’s truly insane to me how much these buns taste like the real deal! They’ve got that signature pretzel flavor, a lovely salty top, and the most picture-perfect soft and chewy exterior that will hold up to any sandwich masterpiece you can dream up.
Let’s be honest here, any sandwich is about to be a masterpiece if these gems are involved.
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More baking projects to try next!
No-Knead Pretzel Buns
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Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups warm water (110F)
- 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4-1/2 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled)
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sea salt for topping
- Melted butter for topping
Instructions
- Place warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook OR a large bowl. Dissolve yeast in water and let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
- Mix butter, honey, salt, and flour into yeast mixture on low speed OR with a wooden spoon if making dough by hand until no streaks of flour remain (dough will be slightly sticky).
- Transfer dough to a greased 4-qt container or large bowl. Cover dough with lid or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow dough to cold-ferment in refrigerator 12 hours or up to 48.
- When ready to bake rolls, remove dough from refrigerator (keep covered) and allow to come to room temperature for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
- Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 400F. Punch risen dough down, turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 10 uniform pieces. Roll portions into hamburger buns or hot dog buns (or do a mix of 5 and 5 – if rolling into hot dog buns I recommend not going any longer than 5 inches otherwise they will be difficult to remove from boiling water) dusting dough portions lightly with flour while rolling. Place 2 inches apart on sheet pans.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly pour baking soda into boiling water (careful, it will bubble a lot).
- Working in batches, use a floured bench scraper to carefully remove 2-3 pretzel buns from pan, gently place into boiling water, and let boil 30 seconds. Use a large spatula to transfer dough balls back to sheet pan and repeat boiling with remaining buns. Be very gentle during this step as the dough will be fragile.
- Brush buns with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Use a sharp knife to cut a small X into the top of each bun if desired. Bake buns at 400F 20-25 minutes until rolls are a deep golden brown.
- Brush warm rolls with melted butter. Allow to cool on pan 10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
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