Pretzel Rolls
Updated: Oct 6, 2020
Servings: 16 rolls
Storage Life of Ingredients: 1 year
Salty, chewy rolls with a crisp exterior that you can gorge on plain or as part of a sandwich. I make these often for company, but need to make a double batch as everyone wants at least 2 each. Leftovers? Forget it. These won't last.
Pictured Process
We love this recipe! The traditional recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, which uses 2 c regular milk in place of 2 c of water and no powdered milk - a very simple fix to make it food storage worthy!
Mix all dough ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes.
The amount of flour you use depends on a number of factors (humidity of the air, whether you measure the liquid amounts correctly, etc.). The amount of flour given in the recipe is just a suggestion. Flour should be added until you reach the correct consistency of dough. Take a look at the pictures above and below. Above, the dough is close to being ready, but you can see that a simple touch of my fingers results in the dough sticking quite vehemently. As I pull my fingers away, the dough stretches and continues to stick. I added more flour and mixed again until the flour was combined. I checked whether I added enough flour by touching the dough again. The dough should not be dry to the touch...you should expect SOME sticking. However, the dough released fairly easily from my fingers with just a little bit of dough sticking. This is about the right consistency.
Transfer dough to greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.
Let rise until doubled (1-2 hours). I like to proof mine in my oven because it ensures the temperature is the same every time I make bread, which in turn makes rising time consistent and I can more easily gauge when dinner will be ready. But rising can happen just about anywhere as long as it is warm and dry.
After dough has risen, preheat oven to 425.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and allow rolls to rest for 15-20 minutes on a greased or floured surface. To make quick, but pretty, balls of dough, you can use many methods. I personally like the one I learned from my brother-in-law, Aaron. You can see a tutorial here.
Meanwhile, boil water, sugar, and baking soda in a large saucepan.
After rolls have rested, place 2-3 rolls into the boiling water bath for 30-60 seconds, turn, and cook for another 30-60 seconds on the other side. Remove rolls from the water bath and place on a lightly greased baking sheet or a silicone liner.
A great tool for giving your dough a bath is the stainless steel spider strainer. It's the perfect size for these fairly large rolls and the water drains fast so you don't have to hold it over the bath for long when removing the dough. I also use it for frying foods and blanching fruit.
While hot, make three cuts in the top of the roll and sprinkle generously with the coarse salt. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Another great tool is this lame for slicing bread. It has a razor attached, which can be replaced and is very thin and sharp, which makes slicing bread dough easy. You can also use a sharp knife, but knives are thicker and so can be a little harder to make pretty cuts. But they work too!
Another benefit of using these tools is that even your teen/pre-teen boys want to help! Truly...My boys did all the dipping, cutting, and salting (? - don't think that's a word) while I took some pictures.
Bake for 20-22 minutes. The rolls should be a pretty, dark brown color when done.
Storage Tips
Yeast: I always keep my yeast in the freezer. Label it with the date bought and the date it expires so you will know how long it will last on your shelf if the power goes out. It will last at least a year if kept in the freezer.
Oil: Oil will last a year in the original store container on your pantry shelf. Make sure to check the best by date since you don't know how long it has been sitting on the store shelves.
Dehydrated Nonfat Milk: Once you open a can of dehydrated milk, it will last a month on your pantry shelf. I repackage it into a freezer bag, label with directions for reconstituting, and store it in my freezer. This way it will last as long as I have electricity to run my freezer.
Salt: Salt will last for 5 years in its original container on your pantry shelf.
Flour: Flour can be stored in 5 gallon food-grade buckets with resealable lids. Layer the flour with bay leaves to keep the weevils away. Grains will keep for at least a year using this method.
Sugar: I store my sugar in 5 gallon food-grade buckets with resealable lids. Sugar is best if used within 2 years.
Baking Soda: Baking soda has a shelf life of 2 years. Check the "best by" date on the container.
Course Kosher Salt: Kept in a cool, dark place Kosher salt has an indefinite shelf life.
