Homemade Pretzel Buns

Course: Lunch / Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Proofing Time: 2

Total Time: 2 40

Servings:

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Homemade pretzel buns are soft, chewy, and packed with the classic savory flavor of traditional pretzels. Follow the steps and you'll have perfect buns perfect for elevating burgers, sandwiches, or enjoying as a tasty snack.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 Stand mixer
baking sheets
Parchment paper or silicone mat
Slotted spoon

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water (105 to 115°F)
2 tablespoon barley malt syrup or dark corn syrup
2¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1 package
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon malt powder optional
2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, and cooled
4⅓ cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
cooking spray
Water for boiling
2 tablespoon molasses optional
¼ cup baking soda
2 tablespoon coarse sea salt or Kosher salt

Instructions

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm water. Stir in the barley malt and then stir in the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until foamy.
1½ cups warm water (105 to 115°F), 2 tablespoon barley malt syrup, 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
Stir in the salt, malt powder, and cooled butter.
1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon malt powder, 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Add the dough attachment and mix on LOW, and slowly add the flour to the mixture. Mix for a minute or two, and then increase the speed to MEDIUM and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is sticking, add flour (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough turns freely in the bowl.
4⅓ cups all-purpose flour
Remove the dough from the bowl and off of the dough attachment. Place it on a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for 1 to 2 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in the oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with the oil. Spray the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm, non-drafty area until the dough has doubled in size, usually 1 hour to 90 minutes.
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Punch the dough down with your fist to deflate it. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
Cover the pieces of dough with a kitchen towel. Working one dough piece at a time, form the dough into a smooth ball. Pull the sides of the dough to the top (or bottom) of the ball. Place the ball on the floured counter and use the palm of your hands to continue smoothing the ball of dough, which will also cause the dough to have a little tension (see video for guidance). Place the dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Press the top down slightly with your finger. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Keep dough balls covered with a kitchen towel as you work.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the molasses and stir until combined. Carefully add the baking soda. The water will foam and fizz strongly for a few seconds. Once the foaming stops, gently add two or three dough balls. Boil for 30 seconds, and then flip them over with a slotted spoon and boil for another 30 seconds. Remove with the slotted spoon, and let excess water drip off.
Water, 2 tablespoon molasses, ¼ cup baking soda
Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Sprinkle salt over the tops of the buns and then use a sharp knife or razor blade to cut an 'X' into the top of the bun. Repeat with the remaining buns.
2 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the buns are a deep golden color, turning the pan around about halfway through.
Cool completely on a baking rack. Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.

See the blog post for links to the malt powder and barley malt syrup. You can omit these ingredients and still have delicious buns. They contribute to the classic pretzel taste, texture, and color.

The baking soda and molasses add color, shininess, and a chewy middle with a crisp exterior.

Nutrition

Thank You! https://gethealth.info/homemade-pretzel-buns/%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cscript%3Ewindow.wprm_recipes = {"recipe-43211":{"type":"food","name":"Homemade Pretzel Buns","slug":"wprm-homemade-pretzel-buns","image_url":"https:\/\/howtofeedaloon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/homemade-pretzel-buns-IG.jpg","rating":{"count":1,"total":5,"average":5,"type":{"comment":1,"no_comment":0,"user":0},"user":0},"ingredients":[{"uid":0,"amount":"1\u00bd","unit":"cups","name":"warm water (105 to 115\u00b0F)","notes":"","unit_id":23258,"id":25061,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1\u00bd","unit":"cups","unitParsed":"cups"}}},{"uid":2,"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","name":"barley malt syrup","notes":"or dark corn syrup","unit_id":23263,"id":24066,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","unitParsed":"tbsp"}}},{"uid":1,"amount":"2\u00bc","unit":"tsp","name":"instant yeast","notes":"1 package","unit_id":23264,"id":5386,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2\u00bc","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"}}},{"uid":3,"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","name":"salt","notes":"","unit_id":23264,"id":4531,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"}}},{"uid":4,"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","name":"malt powder","notes":"optional","unit_id":23264,"id":25062,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"1","unit":"tsp","unitParsed":"tsp"}}},{"uid":5,"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","name":"unsalted butter","notes":"melted, and cooled ","unit_id":23263,"id":3386,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","unitParsed":"tbsp"}}},{"uid":6,"amount":"4\u2153","unit":"cups","name":"all-purpose flour","notes":"plus more as needed","unit_id":23258,"id":4286,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"4\u2153","unit":"cups","unitParsed":"cups"}}},{"uid":10,"amount":"","unit":"","name":"cooking spray","notes":"","id":8491,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"","unit":"","unitParsed":""}}},{"uid":7,"amount":"","unit":"","name":"Water","notes":"for boiling","id":4383,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"","unit":"","unitParsed":""}}},{"uid":9,"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","name":"molasses","notes":"optional","unit_id":23263,"id":11031,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","unitParsed":"tbsp"}}},{"uid":8,"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"cup","name":"baking soda","notes":"","unit_id":23259,"id":4841,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"\u00bc","unit":"cup","unitParsed":"cup"}}},{"uid":11,"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","name":"coarse sea salt","notes":"or Kosher salt","unit_id":23263,"id":4369,"type":"ingredient","unit_systems":{"unit-system-1":{"amount":"2","unit":"tbsp","unitParsed":"tbsp"}}}],"originalServings":"8","originalServingsParsed":8,"currentServings":"8","currentServingsParsed":8,"currentServingsFormatted":"8","currentServingsMultiplier":1,"originalSystem":1,"currentSystem":1,"unitSystems":[1],"originalAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0},"currentAdvancedServings":{"shape":"round","unit":"inch","diameter":0,"width":0,"length":0,"height":0},"collection":{"type":"recipe","recipeId":43211,"name":"Homemade Pretzel Buns","image":"https:\/\/howtofeedaloon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/homemade-pretzel-buns-IG-360x360.jpg","servings":8,"servingsUnit":"","parent_id":"43210","parent_url":"https:\/\/howtofeedaloon.com\/homemade-pretzel-buns\/"}}}