Preview: Yes, you can make this Pretzel Recipe with a bread machine. Pretzel rolls make a fun sandwich or eat them alone with mustard. Nobody will believe you made these from scratch!
Have you been looking to add trendy pretzel rolls to your bread recipe collection? When I saw the original recipe for these buns on the King Arthur website, I downsized it and adapted it for a bread maker.
If you get a kick out of trying new bread recipes, you absolutely must try these. You won’t believe how tasty they are.
You can also make this recipe by hand or with a stand mixer. See the notes in the recipe.
How to make a flatter bun:
I don’t care for the high, round buns they showed in the KA picture (too much bread in the middle bites), so I devised a way to make mine flatter–more like a traditional sandwich bun.
Before placing the buns in boiling water, I flattened each bun with my hand. You can see a difference in the shape in the pictures below.
When to use Pretzel Buns:
Because these are chewy like a pretzel, I would suggest a sturdy filling, like a hamburger or a chicken breast. Chicken salad or other gooey concoctions tend to squish out all over the place when you take a bite. At least that’s my experience.
On the other hand, my husband likes to eat the buns best with no filling. So he only needs a little mustard.
How to form Bread Machine Pretzel Rolls:
Just in case you need a tutorial on how to make nice round balls, check out the video.
Posts related to Bread Machine Pretzels:
- Bread Machine Whole Wheat Rolls: Good for Slider Buns, Too
- Seeded Twirly Buns
- French Bread (Made in a Bread Machine)
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, you can help others and me by leaving a 5-star 🤩 rating in the comment section below. No comment is required.
p.s. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can email me privately: Paula at saladinajar.com.
Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
Pretzel Roll Recipe Bread Machine
Ingredients
Dough
- 1-1/8 cup water - warm (241 gr)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - cut into small pieces (14 gr)
- ½ teaspoon salt - table or sea salt (3 gr)
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour - (360 gr)
- 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk - (21 gr)
- 1-1/4 teaspoon instant yeast - 4 gr
Water Bath
- 2 quarts water
- ¼ cup baking soda - 58 gr
- 1 tablespoon salt - 18 gr
- coarse salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except coarse salt to bread machine in order given. Select dough cycle. Open lid and check dough after a few minutes. It should be a slightly sticky ball.
- When dough cycle completes (bread dough will rise inside machine during this cycle), remove dough from pan to a floured surface.
- Preheat conventional oven to 400 degrees F.
- Divide dough into 8 portions and make into balls. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare water bath. Add soda and salt to water and bring to a boil.
- Gently smash each ball into a flat bun-like shape. Drop each bun into your boiling water bath. Cook 30 seconds, then flip and cook another 30 seconds. They will be wrinkly as a raisin.
- Remove each bun to a well-greased cookie sheet or a tray covered with a silicone mat. These buns are prone to major “stickage.”
- Use a serrated knife or new single-edge razor blade to slice an X into each bun about 1/2 inch deep. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake 20-24 minutes.
- Remove buns ASAP to a cooling rack. Otherwise, they will stick. When cool, slice horizontally if using for sandwiches.
Video
Notes
Alternate Mixing Instructions:
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using a dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: You can substitute active dry yeast for instant or bread machine yeast. There is no longer any need to dissolve it. Be aware that it may be a little slower acting than instant yeast, but it’ll get there.
Mike McDonough
Wednesday 24th of March 2021
As a full-time RVer, it is often difficult to find recipes that work well in these tiny little ovens. We have a bread machine and an oven that simply doesn't have much room in it. This recipe was perfect! Thank you so very much!
Paula
Wednesday 24th of March 2021
Hi Mike,
Glad the pretzel recipe turned out for you. It has been a popular recipe this past year. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Marla B
Thursday 19th of November 2020
I have now made these four times in the last week. My family eats them as fast as I can make them!! We all love them. The first time I made them I did not have unsalted butter so I used to salted. I also used whole milk because I didn’t have any dry milk. They came out fantastic and I’ve made them that way since. I’m currently making them now and seriously considering hiding a few of them to enjoy later before my family eats them up!
Paula
Thursday 19th of November 2020
Hi Marla, This is great news. Sounds like you are now a superstar!! You made good substitutions. I can relate to the hiding idea. I have to do it with my husband occasionally. Thanks so much for writing.
Vivian
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
Hello! I've not made this recipe but have made Pretzel Buns before using dough from my machine. One thing I've learned along the way is that baker's lye used to be used in the old days in the water bath for a richer color and flavor. It's no longer available but I've been told that you can approximate the effect by baking the baking soda to drive water out and thus concentrate it. Anyone heard of this? I'll make a batch from the original recipe and one with the altered baking soda and report back.
So glad to have this. The only store around here that carries pretzel buns calls them seasonal so they are only available June to September. Guess I should tell them how awesome they make breakfast egg "McMuffin" sandwiches any time of year! Thanks, Paula, for all you do in bringing us new challenges!
Vivian
Monday 5th of April 2021
I DID try the baked lye and I think it made the buns a little darker but the work and time involved didn't seem worth it. I now have heard that adding malt powder to the mix gives the buns a more authentic, perhaps robust flavor, like Oktoberfest!? I ordered the powder so will give it a try and report back.
Paula
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
Can't wait to hear the results of your experiment.
Janet
Wednesday 13th of May 2020
I was hoping to my rolls more like logs. Suggestions on any changes I'd need to make to do this?
Paula
Wednesday 13th of May 2020
Are you wanting crunchy crispy logs or soft pretzels?
Jay Prill
Saturday 11th of April 2020
Ingredient list is confusing I added the baking soda to the dough. They tasted like soup.
Paula
Sunday 12th of April 2020
Pretzel soup, eh? I fixed the recipe to be clearer. Thanks for alerting me.