Soft Pretzel Rolls {Homemade} – Two Peas & Their Pod

Quick Summary

Pretzel Rolls- soft and chewy homemade pretzel rolls topped with crunchy coarse sea salt. If you love soft pretzels, you are going to love these big, buttery pretzel rolls!

Our soft pretzel bites are one of the most popular recipes on our blog. They have been for years, everyone loves soft pretzels. Well, Josh decided it was time to turn our famous soft pretzel bites into something BIG! He made homemade soft Pretzel Rolls and they are GOOD! Maybe too good, ha! We can’t stop making and eating them!

You are going to LOVE this recipe! I mean, just look at those golden brown, shiny, salty rolls with the most tender interior. They are perfection. Every pretzel lovers DREAM!

How to Make Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel rolls are yeast rolls so they do take a little effort, but I promise they aren’t hard to make. And they are SO worth the work!

Combine warm water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. The yeast should begin to form a creamy foam on the surface of the water and bubble up. That foam means the yeast is alive and good to go. Always check the date on your yeast before you get started, it does expire.
Add the kosher salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
Grease a large bowl with oil add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Once the dough has risen, punch down the down and put it on lightly floured surface. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces of dough per roll. Shape the dough balls into rolls, making sure the tops are smooth.
Add about 8 to 9 cups of water to a large pot. Add the baking soda and bring to a rapid boil. Cooking the pretzels in a hot baking soda bath causes the rolls to puff up immediately, which helps create a chewy interior and the start of a crispy crust. It also gives the pretzel rolls the classic pretzel flavor.
When the water is boiling, carefully add 2 pretzel rolls to the water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water, and place on a wire rack so the remaining water can drip off. Continue the process until all of the rolls are boiled. Don’t over boil them, watch them closely.
Transfer the rolls to the greased baking pan, making sure the rolls are in close together in the pan. With a very sharp knife or bread lame, gently score an X on the top of each roll.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the pretzels rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle each roll generously with coarse sea salt.
Place the pan in the hot oven and bake for 22 to 27 minutes, or until the rolls are deep golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

How to Store

Homemade pretzels are best fresh, right out of the oven, but you can store leftover rolls.

Place cooled pretzel rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the rolls for up to 2 months.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve the pretzel rolls along side any meal, like a classic dinner roll. Everyone will go crazy for these chewy, salty rolls!

I think they are great plain, but feel free to add butter or serve with mustard, cheese sauce, or even a sweet jam.

You can also make mini sandwiches with these rolls. My boys love using the pretzel rolls to make a ham and cheese sandwich, but I think any sandwich would be good on these rolls. They seriously SO good!

More Pretzel Recipes

Yeast Breads

Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel Rolls- soft and chewy homemade pretzel rolls topped with crunchy coarse sea salt. If you love soft pretzels, you are going to love these big, buttery pretzel rolls!

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Oil, for greasing bowl
1/3 cup baking soda, for boiling the pretzel rolls
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling on top of the rolls

Combine the 1 ½ cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the kosher salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
Grease a large bowl with oil add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Once the dough has risen, punch down the down and put it on lightly floured surface. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 3 ounces of dough per roll. Shape the dough balls into rolls, making sure the tops are smooth.
Add about 8 to 9 cups of water to a large pot. Add the baking soda and bring to a rapid boil.
When the water is boiling, carefully add 2 pretzel rolls to the water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water, and place on a wire rack so the remaining water can drip off. Continue the process until all of the rolls are boiled.
Transfer the rolls to the greased baking pan, making sure the rolls are in close together in the pan. With a very sharp knife or bread lame, gently score an X on the top of each roll.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the pretzels rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle each roll generously with coarse sea salt.
Place the pan in the hot oven and bake for 22 to 27 minutes, or until the rolls are deep golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Store pretzel rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the rolls for up to 2 months.

Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 1404mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 195IU, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 2mg