High Altitude Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls

An easy high altitude recipe for homemade soft pretzel rolls. These soft and chewy pretzel rolls have a gorgeous deep brown color, and a classic pretzel flavor. They’re perfect for sandwiches or burgers during the summer barbecue season!

You might also love these high altitude bread recipes for brioche buns for burgers and hot dogs, cheesy garlic herb bread rolls, and honey poppy seed dinner rolls.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients. There are no hard-to-find or expensive ingredients in today’s recipe, just simple, standard items from your pantry and fridge.

Only One Rising. Most yeast rolls, buns and bread need to rise or proof twice, once before shaping the rolls, and once after. With pretzel rolls, the dough only needs to rise once. Then all you need to do is shape the rolls and give them a quick dunk in boiling water and baking soda, before they’re ready to bake. As far as homemade rolls go, these come together quickly, in about 2 hours from start to finish.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. That said, most of my yeast dough recipes for rolls, buns and bread can be made at any altitude without adjusting the ingredients. The main difference will simply be on how long it takes your dough to rise, since dough tends to rise faster at higher elevations.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Water. You’ll need hot water (between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit) for the dough. Be sure to check the temperature – if it’s too cold, it won’t activate the yeast, and if it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast.
• Sugar. A touch of sugar or honey adds a little sweetness and helps to feed the yeast.
• Salt. Rolls and bread need salt for flavor, so don’t skimp on the salt.
• Yeast. I like to use instant or rapid-rise yeast, but you can also use active dry. Both work equally well.
• Bread Flour. For a chewier texture, use bread flour, which has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour. You want your pretzel rolls to be chewy, not cakey.
• Butter. Adds more flavor and richness to the rolls.
• Baking Soda. After shaping the rolls, but before baking them, you’ll be dunking the rolls in a pot of boiling water and baking soda. It may seem strange, but this step is key to giving the rolls their classic pretzel flavor and deep brown color.
• Egg. You’ll need a lightly beaten egg to brush over the rolls, just before baking.

Instructions

Make the Dough

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the hot water (1 1/2 cups), sugar, salt, yeast, bread flour and melted butter. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine, then knead on medium/low speed for 5 minutes. The dough will be thick and will wrap around the dough hook, but may still stick to the bottom of the bowl.

• Lightly spray a large bowl with non-stick spray or grease lightly with olive oil, and scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. Inside your oven with the bread-proofing setting or just the heat from the interior light is ideal.
• It should take about 45-60 minutes to rise.

Shape the Rolls

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, lightly flour the top of the dough, and gently press the air out of the dough. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
• Shape each portion of dough into a bun, by pinching the dough together so it’s pinched on one side and smooth on the other.

Boil and Bake the Rolls

• Preheat the oven to 450 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large stock pot, combine the 10 cups of water with the baking soda and bring to a boil. Use a kitchen spider or strainer to lower the rolls into the boiling water, one at a time, boiling each roll for 30 seconds.
• Lift the rolls back out of the boiling water, let the water drain off, then place the rolls (smooth side up) on the baking sheet. The surface of the rolls will look a little gummy or gelatinous at this point. As you place the boiled rolls on the baking sheet, leave 3 inches between each.
• Brush the beaten egg over the rolls, then use a sharp knife or bread lame to score an “x” on top of each roll.

• Bake the pretzels rolls for about 15-20 minutes, until the color is a deep golden brown, and a digital instant read thermometer inserted into the rolls reads 190-195F.

• Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When the rolls are cool enough to handle, split them with a sharp serrated knife to assemble your burgers or sandwiches.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store leftover pretzel rolls?

Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3-6 months.

Will this recipe work for any size of rolls?

This recipe makes enough dough for 8 large, quarter-pounder-burger-sized rolls.  You can divide the dough into 10-12 portions for slightly smaller burgers or sandwiches, or into 16 portions for mini slider-sized rolls.

Will this recipe work for making soft pretzels?

Yes, it will! You can find the process and recipe for my soft pretzels here.

How are pretzel rolls different from yeast rolls?

They have a few key differences. One difference is that pretzel rolls only need to rise once, while most yeast rolls need to rise twice. The second main difference is that they’re boiled before baking.

Why do pretzels need to be boiled in a baking soda solution?

Pretzels need to be dipped in an alkaline water bath before baking. This alkaline bath gives pretzels their unique signature pretzel flavor, deep brown color, and chewy crust. Traditionally, pretzel makers use food-grade lye for the alkaline bath, but it’s a hazardous chemical that requires special precautions for handling. Baking soda is a great substitute for home bakers.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?

You sure can! I love using instant yeast (also called rapid-rise yeast), since it doesn’t require any proofing. If you use active dry yeast instead, you’ll need to first activate it before you mix up the dough. All you’ll need to do is pour the hot water and sugar into your mixing bowl, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy, then add the remaining ingredients and mix up the dough as instructed.

If I don’t have bread flour, can I use all-purpose flour?

Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour. This makes it ideal for bread recipes made with yeast, such as cinnamon rolls, since it contributes to their chewy texture. You can use all-purpose flour instead, but the pretzel rolls won’t be quite as chewy.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover rolls?

The best way to reheat these rolls is to split them and toast them in a convection oven or grill for a few minutes. Then assemble your burgers and sandwiches on the toasted rolls.

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