Pretzel Rolls

Last weekend Ryan had to work all weekend because of a medical conference, so I thought it would be nice to surprise him with a tasty treat.  When I started baking a few weeks ago, there were so many sweet & savory recipes we wanted to try and only so much capacity we had to eat them.  So this recipe took a little bit of a backseat while we enjoyed other breads and sweets.  When I first found a recipe for pretzel bread, Ryan mentioned that it's his favorite type of bread, so it seemed like the perfect surprise treat.

I was a little skeptical at first because it didn't seem like a simple baking soda bath would be enough to turn bread into "pretzel" bread, but I was amazed at how this bread turned out.  The bread was so moist on the inside and pretzely on the outside, it was hard to stop eating it once we started.  This recipe makes 2 small loaves, about 5-6 inches in diameter and we ate them both in 3 days. 😂

We enjoyed this bread as a snack on its own, but we also paired it with mustard & prosciutto and made eggs benedict with it (recipe coming soon!).  This recipe is one of those I can't wait to make again, which doesn't happen often.  I'm usually happy with a recipe, but excited to continue to try new recipes.  This one though, we'll have to try again soon. 

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 2 small loaves

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/2 tsp yeast

1 cup warm water

2 tbs whole milk (we subbed almond milk)

3 tbs brown sugar

4 tbs butter, melted

1 tsp sea salt

3 cups flour

Soda Bath:

4 quarts water

1/2 cup baking soda

Topping:

1-2 tbs coarse sea salt

2 tbs butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Combine yeast, water and brown sugar in a large bowl.  Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. While yeast is proofing, melt butter, mix in milk and set aside.
3. Once yeast is proofed, add milk and butter and mix until just combined.
4. Add salt and flour and mix until fully incorporated.  Knead until slightly tacky but not too sticky, about 8-9 minutes.
5. Oil a large bowl and place the dough ball in the bowl.  Cover with a clean dowel and let rise for one hour.
6. Preheat oven to 400° F and bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda a little bit at a time.
7. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently press out the air bubbles.
8. Take the two sections of dough and form them into round dough balls.
9. Drop one of the balls into the boiling soda water and boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once.  Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet.
10. Immediately sprinkle course sea salt over the bread and use a knife to cut a small "X" on the top of the bread.  Repeat with the second ball of dough.
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the loaves have a dark golden brown coloring.
12. Once removed from the oven, brush the melted butter over the loaves.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20-30 minutes.