These soft pretzel buns are a delicious homemade treat with every meal. In Germany you these rolls are regularly used for all kinds of savory sandwiches.
They are easy to make and so much better than the store bought versions.
How are pretzel buns called in German?
Pretzel rolls are called "Laugenbrötchen".
How to pronounce "Laugenbrötchen"?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Laugenbrötchen" in German.
How to make German Pretzel Buns Video Tutorial
Authentic German Pretzel Rolls Recipe
Recipe
German Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup + ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 tbsp. dry yeast
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 5 tbsp. butter
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt Kosher
- coarse salt to sprinkle on the rolls
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
Instructions
- Add ⅓ cup of lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix to combine, cover the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.
- Melt the butter and combine with the remaining warm water, add it to the yeast mixture, and mix well.
- Blend salt with flour. Add to the bowl, 1 cup at a time.
- Knead until smooth dough forms. Add a little more flour in case the dough is too soft and tacky; add a little more water if the dough seems too dense and dry. Different flour brands react differently, and cup measurements are not always accurate either, so you need to adjust by looking and feeling. See the recipe video for more guidance.
- Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and set aside for 1 hour to rise.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape the pieces into smooth rolls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the rolls with a dish towel and let the rolls rest for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Fill a medium-sized pot ⅔ with water and bring to a boil. Then slowly add the baking soda to the water.
- Place 3-4 buns at a time into the water bath using a slotted spoon. Turn after 10 seconds and leave on the other side for another 10 seconds.
- Remove the bun from the water with a slotted spoon and allow the water to drain well. Then place it back on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the rolls.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the rolls in the shape of a cross.
- Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake the rolls for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
Nutrition
Yield: 1 pretzel bunCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gNet Carbohydrates: 32g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
How to Serve Pretzel Buns?
Soft pretzel buns are for sandwiches or for burgers.
Mary says
Hi! These look really good, so of course I want to make them. Can I use maldons finishing salt for these? Or does it have to be coarse kosher?
Angela Schofield says
Hi Mary, Maldons finishing salt would be awesome on the buns. Guten Appetit!
Șerban says
Can u help me with recipe in grams?
Angela Schofield says
You can use this converter: https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/cooking/cups-grams.php
Jennifer says
Step 9 needs to be moved to after step 16.
Angela Schofield says
Thanks for catching that, Jennifer. I adjusted the oopsie 🙂
Kevin says
Where in the recipe does it say show the part about "resting time: 20 HOURS"
Angela Schofield says
Thank you Kevin for mentioning this. We just changed to a new plugin and it messed up some parts of the recipe. I fixed it.
Sharyn says
Delicious rolls, but one suggestion: put the rolls on greased parchment after the water bath. All my rolls stuck and that beautiful crust came off when I peeled them off the parchment!
Angela Schofield says
I am sorry your buns stuck to the parchment paper. It never happened to me. I use the pre-cut sheets from Reynolds, perhaps that makes the difference.