The Spectacular Pretzel Bun
What is it about pretzels that make a dish so spectacular? I mean let’s be honest, if you see a ham and cheese sandwich on the menu you may shrug it off like it’s no big deal. BUT, if it’s ham and cheese on a PRETZEL BUN (cue the hallelujah chorus)…it becomes the most spectacular morsel of food you ever laid eyes on!
True story…don’t deny it!
Well my friends, today is your lucky day because I just happened to stumble across this lovely recipe from The Food Network Kitchens for Pretzel Buns you can create from the comfort of your home!
Let’s roll up our sleeves…and get to work!!
As with most bread dough we need our yeast to bloom. Warm some milk and sprinkle your yeast on top. Allow it to sit for a little while to soften then sprinkle in some sugar. This is going to get your yeast nice an foamy.
Meanwhile mix together your flour and some salt. Then using a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment set on low speed add your yeast mixture as well as a couple tablespoons of butter at room temperature. Now, it’s time to let your stand mixer do its job. Right before your very eyes you will witness your dough go from a crumbly mess of flour to a homogenous, smooth dough that is slightly sticky to the touch.
Place your dough into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for an hour. There is something satisfying about watching dough rise. It makes me feel accomplished!
When your dough is ready roll it out onto a floured surface. Stretch the dough into a 16 inch by 2 inch log.
Slice the log into 8 equal square portions. Take each square and do the following…
Roll it into a 6 inch rope of dough…
Wind the rope into a coil…
Tuck the end piece underneath the roll…
And place on a greased baking sheet allowing the rolls to rest for about 30 minutes. Look at those cuties!
Once they have rested, cover with plastic wrap and allow them to chill out in the fridge for about 2 hours. This will allow the dough to “puff out” a bit.
After this second rise, mix together a pot of boiling water with baking soda and salt. In two batches add the buns to the boiling water bath for about a minute each. Be sure to flip each bun halfway through this cooking process.
Lightly beat an egg and brush a layer on top of each bun along with a sprinkle of coarse salt. Bake in the oven till the buns turn a dark golden brown…don’t they look spectacular?!
These buns are the perfect companion to any sandwich, soup, salad, and yes BURGERS!
This is how we spent our Saturday night…partaking in a delightful cheeseburger garnished with caramelized onions and topped with these delicious pretzel buns. Life-changing!
Enjoy! #Treatyoself #Treatyofamily
Love,
JJ
- 1 cup milk
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 Tbs packed light brown sugar
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 Tbs unsalted butter at room temperature
- Cooking spray
- ½ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, warm the milk to 110 degrees F. Pour the warm milk into a medium bowl; sprinkle with the yeast and allow it to soften for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the brown sugar and set the yeast mixture aside until it becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment combine the flour and fine salt. Make sure the mixer is on low speed. Add the yeast mixture and butter then continue to mix until the dough is slightly smooth and soft but still sticky. Coat a large bowl with a layer of cooking spray and place dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- Generously coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough into a 16 inch long log. The log will be about two inches wide. Slice the log into 8 equal square portions. Take each square and roll into a 6 inch long rope. Wind the rope into a coil and tuck the end underneath. Place each prepped roll onto the greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 2 hours. The rolls will be slightly puffed.
- When the rolls are ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a large pot with about 3 inches of water. Add the baking soda and ¼ cup coarse salt to the pot then bring the mixture to a boil. When ready, add half of the rolls and cook until slightly puffed. Be sure to flip the rolls halfway through with a slotted spoon. This will take about 1 minute. Spray another coat of cooking spray over the baking sheet and return the rolls to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Brush the rolls with the egg and sprinkle the tops of the rolls with more coarse salt.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the rolls are a deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to bake the rolls evenly. When ready, place the baking sheet on a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the rolls to the rack to cool completely.
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