Pretzel Buns

During a wild raid of Trader Joe’s in Atlanta during BlogHer Food, I found Pretzel Buns. I bought two bags, and we consumed every last one. There’s just something about that dark skinned, salty bread, so chewy and delicious.

I’ve been craving them ever since.

pretzel-buns-1Alas, We have no Trader Joe’s here, so I have been pining from afar, sad that I have been eating my sandwiches on plain old buns.

pretzel-seven-1Sigh.

But then something happened. Pinterest. I have found that Pinterest may very well be the death of me, but in this case, it has also become my savior.

I found a recipe for Pretzel Rolls. No, I didn’t want Pretzel Rolls, I wanted Pretzel Buns. That’s okay, though – I can adapt. And adapt I did.

I have a fear of yeast and anything breadlike in my house, as we just don’t get along. But I needed to have this pretzel bread. Sure, I was scared to death that I’d waste 7 cups of my favorite flour, but risks must sometimes be taken, and this was one of those times.

I succeeded.

imageThis dough came together like a dream. I made it entirely in my brand new 7 Quart KitchenAid Mixer. Yes, you read that right – SEVEN Quart. Oh, she is a beaut. And tough as nails, too. A tough dough like this one may have been too much for a smaller mixer, but not this one…no problems at all. To say I am in love with it is an understatement – I really can’t profess my true feelings in words.

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You really just have to see it to understand. Luckily for you, I intend to include it on my 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Gift Guide later this month. Why is that lucky, you wonder? Well, I am so glad you asked. It just so happens that I will be giving away EVERYTHING on that guide. Yep, even the 7 Quart KitchenAid. Yes, really! So, make sure you are a Fan on Facebook, so that you can be sure to get the update as to when that giveaway goes live – you don’t want to miss it, do you?

Okay, let’s get back to this bread.

If I can make it, YOU can make it. And you’ll be so glad you did! Give it a shot, as it is practically foolproof…I mean, I made it, right?

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Pretzel Buns

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8

Ingredients

7 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 package instant yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons melted butter
For the Water bath: 2 quarts water, 1 tablespoon salt, 4 tablespoons baking soda

Instructions

Combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
Combine the warm milk and yeast. Allow to rest for 5 to10minutes.
Add the butter and water to the yeast mixture.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the wet and dry ingredients and knead until thoroughly combined and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Knewad by hand for 1-2 minutes. Spray the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.
Once risen, punch down and knead for 1 minute. Cut dough into 8 even pieces. Form into balls by pulling and tucking under the edges. Allow to rest 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
Bring the water, salt and baking soda to a rolling boil. Place 2 buns into the pot, and boil on each side for 1 minute. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and then score the tops in a cross with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Place on a well greased baking sheet.
When all buns have been boiled, bake for 25-30 minutes until brown. Serve and enjoy!

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Here’s to having a fabulous weekend, everyone! Do something fun, bake something delicious. Tell me all about it on Monday!

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