Homemade Pretzel Buns for Burgers and More

These buns have a tender crumb but hold up well enough to support a loaded burger.

Info

• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting and kneading (see Cook’s Note)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup baking soda (see Cook’s Note)
• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt or pretzel salt

Instructions

1. Add the water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast over the water and stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to sit until it becomes bubbly, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the oil.
2. Sift the flour and kosher salt into the bowl. Mix on the lowest speed until a dough forms. Raise the speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the oiled bowl, turning it gently so the surface gets coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has increased to about 1 1/2 times its original size, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the paper with oil. Set aside.
5. Lightly flour a work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Knead until smooth and no longer sticky, 6 to 8 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal pieces, then shape each piece into a round. Arrange the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for doubling in size. Use kitchen scissors to snip an X across the top of each roll. Cover the rolls with a clean, damp towel and let them rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
6. Place oven racks in the top and bottom positions and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a dry towel.
7. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a deep, straight-sided skillet. Stir in the baking soda. Using a slotted spatula or spoon, gently lower 4 of the rolls, top-side down, into the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Flip the rolls and boil for 1 minute more. Lift the rolls out with the slotted spatula or spoon and transfer them to the towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
8. Line the baking sheet on which the rolls rose with a fresh sheet of parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil. Transfer the rolls to the prepared sheet and sprinkle generously with the coarse sea salt.
9. Bake the rolls on the top rack until deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Move the rolls to the bottom rack and continue baking until cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
10. Let the rolls cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

To measure flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. (Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour, which can make baked goods dry.) The baking soda in the boiling water does two things: it contributes some of the characteristic pretzel flavor and helps the rolls develop a deep brown color in the oven.