I know this is going to sound totally crazy, but lately I can pretty much take or leave bread. I’m baking it much less often, and when I do, I just slice the loaves and freeze them in individual packages to pull out on the rare occasion we make a sandwich or want toast under a fried egg. A single loaf of bread will often last months in our freezer! It’s not a conscious decision I made to eat less bread, I just stopped craving it the way I used to. Even the bread baskets they bring to the table in restaurants don’t hold the same appeal to me that they once did, I barely know who I am π
My carb addiction is still alive and well when it comes to pretzels though, I am utterly obsessed with them! Well, I should clarify – the obsession is limited to soft pretzels. The crunchy bagged ones from the store don’t really do it for me. I pretty much cannot walk by any sort of food cart or stand selling soft pretzels and not buy one.
Pretzel rolls have been making the rounds on several blogs lately, and I didn’t wait long to join in on the fun. I baked these rolls to serve with cheddar ale soup last week, and it was seriously the most comforting meal ever. The leftovers fed us for a few days, and I wasn’t even remotely tired of the combination by the end. The rolls have a crisp, salty exterior and the classic soft pretzel chewiness too. They reheat well too, so you can even make them in advance. Some of my friends have turned pretzel rolls into bread bowls, which is also a great idea, and it probably won’t be long before that’s happening here too.
Soft Pretzel Rolls
barely adapted from Bon Appetit, January 1994 (via Epicurious, originally seen on Ezra Pound Cake)
{Note: the original recipe called for celery seeds, which I omitted. Lots of the reviews mentioned loving the flavor they added so I figured I’d mention it in case you want to add them back.}
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot water (about 125-130 F)
cornmeal
8 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white, beaten until foamy (for glaze)
coarse salt
Add the bread flour, yeast, salt, and sugar to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. With the machine running, slowly add the hot water through the feed tube (you might not need all of the water – add enough to form a smooth cohesive dough). Knead the dough by allowing the food processor to run for 1 minute – the dough should be smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Form the dough into a rough ball then add to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 35 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press down and knead lightly into a ball. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten the ball just slightly, then use a pair of scissors (a knife would probably work too) to cut an “x” shape into the top. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Cover the baking sheet with a towel and let the dough balls rise for 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle generously with cornmeal. Add the water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Carefully add the baking soda and soda (the mixture will bubble up). Place half of the rolls in the water and cook them for 30 seconds per side. Use a spider (or slotted spoon) to transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat withe the remaining 4 rolls.
Brush the rolls with the egg white glaze then sprinkle them generously with coarse salt. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
{Note: you can make these a few hours ahead of time – when you’re ready to serve, just reheat for about 10 minutes in a 375 F oven.}
Gahhhh, you’re killin’ me! These look SO good and I can never say no to a pretzel. I need to go start some dough.
I stinking love pretzel rolls! I make them all the time for my burgers.
These are fun! Bah, I looove pretzels!
Funny that you say you’re not into bread baking as much anymore, just today I posted that I’ve been bitten by it and all things bread! I’d love to hear about some of your fave recipes of all time for the times when you were really into it!
And these pretzels, and so many Ive seen on pinterest and blogs, I have really wanted to try my hand at them!
I’m going to play with this. I don’t do yeast and flour and stuff. Just don’t want to. However, I think I can make this from some of that “tube” dough at the supermarket. The real question is which one. I’m leaning toward the breadstick dough, which I’ve used to make small loaves of delicious bread. Any thoughts? Please write to me at scrout1944@msn.com or I might not see your reply. Best, Stephen
It’s the season for pretzels! These look delicious and perfect for the cravings I’ve been having. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m such a carb addict so you know I’m totally in love with this! And I totally need to start freezing bread too. It’s so rare that I get to bake them and I never get to finish it in time so most of it ends up in the trash!
Ooh, these sounds lovely, especially with that cheddar ale soup. YUM!
LOVE! I just posted pretzel bread bowls this week and will never turn back. I love pretzel anything!
I’m not much of a bread eater. I have a pb&j everyday, yeah, but that’s because I love pb&j. I don’t usually have the bread from the baskets they serve at restaurants, and I don’t eat toast. And only occasionally do I buy pepperidge farm cinnamon swirl bread to eat as a snack.
And I’m not much of a salt person either. But I do love a good pretzel. Hard, crunchy and salty on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. How can you not like pretzels? π
These look delicious!
All I can say is wow. These look amazing.
I’ve bought pretzel rolls a few times but hadn’t thought about making them. I’m sure the homemade ones are tastier!
Yummy! I am NOT one of those that can take or leave bread π
Yummy! I am NOT one of those that can take or leave bread π
Yummy! I am NOT one of those that can take or leave bread π
Oh boy! This is a dangerous recipe to have. I few years ago I made pretzel knots and they were awesome. I bet these are just as delicious.
Love these! I first made them for with Beer Cheese soup too! My husband and some love them for a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich too – so good!
Just last night my husband said he was dying for a hot pretzel. Love this find, thanks!
I’ve been craving a good ‘mall pretzel’, but I do believe it’s about time to try making pretzels at home. Thank you for the inspiration! These pretzel rolls look amazing! π
These were delicious and paired wonderfully with that soup. Thanks for making them!
I find soft pretzels so addictive so I think these would be amazing. The trick will be restraining myself from eating them all in one sitting.
AHHHHHH I want to eat these right now! Imagine when they are right warm from the oven! lOVE IT!
~ nerdwithtaste.wordpress.com