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.

Alas, 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.

Sigh.

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.

This 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.

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?

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!

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