Pretzel Buns
I gotta say… I’m pretty darn proud of this one! I simply cannot get over these gorgeous Hamburger buns. Beautifully golden brown, with that distinct pretzel flavor. In fact, when I was baking these buns, we had couple Handymen over to do a few things around the house, and one of them walked in while I was baking these and declared ‘Wow… it smells like Auntie Anne’s (the pretzel shop), in here’. Bingo!
These aren’t as hard as you may think, and if you’ve looked into making these before and been discouraged when seeing the ingredient of Barley Malt Syrup and thought about not wanting to track that down (in my experience, that’s not typically found in grocery stores), never fear! I found the solution. If you read through the recipe, which asks you to bake your baking soda before using it in the baking soda wash. It really gives it that beautiful color and flavor. Science is cool, right?
Anyways, don’t sleep on these! They’re ridiculously soft and flavorful - a perfect addition to your Burger nights. They’ll bring any sandwich to a whole new level deliciousness. Be sure to pin this recipe, and I’d love to have you follow me on Pinterest, as well as Instagram, under @theflouredcountertop. Happy Baking!
Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp Warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 9 Tbsp Melted Butter (Just make sure it's cooled before putting in the dough to avoid killing the Yeast)
- 3 1/3 cups All-purpose Flour (until it can be handled without sticking to your hands)
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350º, then line a pan with Parchment paper and spread the 1/3 cup Baking Soda onto it. Let bake for 1 hour, while you prepare your dough. This will ensure the beautiful golden brown color on the outside, as well as the distinct 'pretzel' taste. The Baking Soda will not get darker after baking it.
- While your baking soda is in the oven, prepare the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, place 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1 cup + 2 Tbsp Warm water, and 1 1/2 tsp Sugar. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Then add the 9 Tbsp of cooled and melted Butter, 3 cups of Flour (add a little more if you feel like it's sticky), and 1 1/2 tsp Salt. Mix together on low until it starts to come together, then mix on high for 4-5 minutes to knead it. The dough should be soft to the touch and smooth. Let rise for 30-45 minutes covered, in a warm in environment, until doubled in size.
- When your dough is ready, punch it down onto a clean surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces, shaping into a bun shape. Push each side of the buns against your hands to round it out and create tension. Place on a greased cookie sheet, and give it a little 'push' to flatten it and avoid it becoming too 'domed' when baked.
- When all the buns are shaped, Boil the 1/3 cup baked Baking Soda and 4 cups of Water in a medium-sized sauce pan. After it starts to boil, turn your stove top down to medium or medium low. Place each bun in the water for about 5 seconds each side, then remove with a large, slotted spoon. Don't worry if the buns start to look lumpy and loose their smoothness- this will go away after rising and baking.
- Cut an 'x' in the top of each one, about 1/4 inch deep, then sprinkle with Sea Salt. Preheat your oven to 400º, and let the buns rise for about another 10 minutes, while your oven preheats. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until Golden Brown on top. Let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and letting them cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing into them. Enjoy!