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introduction
Imagine the best parts of a soft pretzel: the golden brown, shiny crust; the salty topping; and the soft, chewy interior. Now imagine all of these qualities in a homemade bun that’s packed with your favorite sandwich fillings. They bring a fresh twist to classic sandwiches, as well as hamburgers and hot dogs. This mash-up is sure to please any sandwich-lover.
Ingredients
Dough
1 3/4 cups (397g) water, warm
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon table salt
4 1/2 cups (540g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/4 cup (28g) King Arthur Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Topping
pretzel salt or coarse salt, e.g., Sel Gris
Water bath
2 quarts (1814g) water
1 tablespoon (18g) table salt
1/4 cup (57g) baking soda
Instructions
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix and knead the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes if using a stand mixer.
Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour, until doubled.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
Divide the dough into 10 pieces (about 100g each) and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand until it’s about 3″ across. (Alternatively, for instructions on how to shape long sub-style sandwich buns, see the tip below.)
Perfect your technique
Baked Pretzel Buns on baking sheet
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How to make pretzel buns
Lightly grease a baking sheet; or line the sheet with parchment and grease the parchment. Place the balls on the baking sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prepare the water bath: Bring the water, salt, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
Drop 5 dough balls at a time into the water bath.
Cook for 30 seconds, flip over, and cook for 30 seconds longer. Using a slotted spoon, return the buns to the baking sheet.
While the pretzel buns are still warm from the water, sprinkle them with coarse sea salt. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut 1/2″-deep crosses into the center of each bun. Boil, top, and score the remaining 5 buns.
Bake the pretzel buns for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they’re a deep-dark brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
Tips from our Bakers
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