Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe (Easy Homemade Pretzel Buns)
Make Your Own Soft Pretzel Rolls aka Soft Pretzel Buns
Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls That Taste Like Bakery Buns
If you love soft baked pretzels, you are going to be obsessed with these super soft pretzel rolls. They have that classic pretzel flavor, a deep golden-brown crust, and a tender but slightly chewy inside that holds up beautifully to soup, sliders, and big juicy burgers.
This recipe makes 16 generous rolls and goes from start to finish in about 2 hours, with roughly an hour and 20 minutes of that being hands-off rise time. So you can absolutely mix these on a busy afternoon and still have warm pretzel rolls on the table by dinnertime.
Why You’ll Love These Soft Pretzel Rolls
- Soft and chewy texture: Tender in the middle with that classic pretzel chew on the outside.
- Perfect for sandwiches and burgers: Substantial enough to hold up to sauces, patties, and fillings without falling apart.
- Surprisingly simple: The dough uses basic pantry ingredients and comes together quickly.
- Versatile: Top them with pretzel salt, everything seasoning, or even cinnamon sugar for a sweet twist.
- Make-ahead friendly: They reheat well and can be frozen for easy future dinners or parties.
They’re absolutely delicious dipped in anything cheesy—like this cheesy bacon dip—or served alongside one of our favorite soup recipes. You can go the classic salty route, or brush them with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar for a dessert-style pretzel roll.
Ingredients Overview
The dough is simple and uses ingredients you probably already have:
- Instant yeast: Helps the dough rise quickly and gives you that light, soft interior.
- Warm milk and water: A mix of warmth and richness for a soft crumb.
- Vegetable oil: Adds tenderness and keeps the rolls from drying out.
- Salt: Essential for flavor in both the dough and on top of the rolls.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough—enough to form a soft, slightly tacky, but still sturdy dough.
- Sugar + baking soda for the water bath: The baking soda gives the rolls that signature pretzel color and flavor, and the quick boil creates the chewy exterior.
- Coarse or pretzel salt: For topping and finishing that classic pretzel look.
The dough will feel a bit heavier and stiffer than a typical dinner roll dough, but it should still be soft, smooth, and just slightly tacky to the touch.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Soft Pretzel Rolls
Don’t be intimidated by the boiling step—once you see the process, you’ll realize these are almost as easy as regular rolls with just a few extra steps.
1. Mix and Knead the Dough
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the yeast, oil, warm milk, and warm water. Add the salt and 2 cups of flour, then keep adding flour gradually until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a soft ball. Knead for 3–4 minutes until smooth. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2. Divide and Shape the Dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly greased surface. Shape it into an even square or rectangle and cut into 16 equal pieces (a 4×4 grid). A sturdy dough scraper works perfectly for this.
To form each roll, pull the edges of the dough down and under toward one point, creating a tight, smooth ball with a small “pucker” on the bottom. Gently flatten out the pucker. This helps squeeze out air bubbles and gives you a smooth, tight top. Place the dough balls onto lightly greased parchment paper or silicone baking mats and let them rest for 15–20 minutes.
3. Boil the Pretzel Rolls
While the dough rests, bring 3 quarts of water to a gentle boil in a 5–6 quart pot. Add the sugar and baking soda and stir until dissolved. Carefully lift each dough ball off the parchment, gently tightening the bottom again if needed, and drop 3–4 balls at a time into the boiling water.
Boil each side for about 30 seconds. The longer the boil, the chewier the crust will be. The rolls may look a little wrinkly when they come out of the water—that’s totally normal and will smooth out while baking. A skimmer slotted spoon is perfect for lifting them out.
4. Slash, Salt, and Bake
Place the boiled dough balls back onto baking sheets lined with greased parchment or silicone mats. Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C.
Use a very sharp knife or razor (I love my Victorinox knives) to make two shallow slashes across the top of each roll. Sprinkle with coarse or kosher salt.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are puffed and a deep golden-brown color. They should smell like a bakery pretzel and feel slightly firm on the outside but soft when you press gently on the sides.
Serving Ideas for Pretzel Rolls and Pretzel Buns
This recipe makes 16 large pretzel rolls that are perfect as buns. You can:
- Use them for fancy burgers or grilled chicken sandwiches.
- Serve them warm with soup or chili for a cozy, comforting meal.
- Slice smaller rolls for sliders, game-day sandwiches, or party platters.
- Brush with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar for a sweet pretzel roll dessert.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Pretzel Rolls
Same day: These are best served fresh on the day you bake them—still slightly warm if you can time it that way.
Short-term storage: Store cooled rolls in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 1–2 days. Warm gently in the microwave for a few seconds or in a low oven until just heated through.
Freezer: Let rolls cool completely, then place in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 2–3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 300°F oven until warm.
Tip: If the tops lose a little shine after freezing, you can brush lightly with melted butter right after reheating.
Troubleshooting Soft Pretzel Rolls
- Dough is too sticky: Add flour a little at a time (1–2 tablespoons) until the dough is soft and slightly tacky, but not clinging to your fingers.
- Rolls are too dense: Make sure the dough doubled on the first rise and that your yeast is fresh and active.
- Rolls deflate after slashing: The knife or razor might not be sharp enough, or you may be pressing too hard. Use a very sharp blade and make quick, shallow cuts.
- Pale color: Double-check that you used enough baking soda in the water bath and baked long enough for a rich golden color.
- Too salty: A little pretzel salt goes a long way—use a light hand when sprinkling.
For an even deeper dive into why pretzel dough is boiled before baking and how the alkaline bath affects color and texture, you can read this helpful guide from King Arthur Baking.
Soft Pretzel Rolls FAQ
Can I make smaller pretzel rolls?
Yes! Simply divide the dough into more pieces—20–24 instead of 16—for smaller rolls or sliders. Watch them a bit more closely in the oven, as smaller rolls may bake a few minutes faster.
Do I have to use milk, or can I substitute water?
Milk helps create a softer crumb and richer flavor, but you can use all water if needed. The texture may be slightly less soft, but the rolls will still be delicious.
Can I prepare the dough ahead of time?
You can mix and knead the dough, let it rise, shape the rolls, and then refrigerate the shaped dough balls (covered well) for several hours or overnight. Let them come to room temperature before boiling and baking.
What’s the best way to reheat pretzel rolls?
For the best texture, reheat in a 300°F oven for 5–10 minutes until warm. A quick microwave zap works in a pinch but can make the crust a little softer.
What can I serve with pretzel rolls?
Pretzel rolls are amazing with cheesy dips, soups, chili, and sandwiches. Try them with our Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks–style meal, Crazy Bread copycat, or alongside Quick One-Hour Dinner Rolls for a fun bread basket variety.
Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe Card
Ready to bake? Here’s the printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions:
Super Soft Pretzel Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups warm milk 100-110°F / 37.7-43.3°C
- 1 ½ cups warm water 100-110°F / 37.7-43.3°C
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 ½ to 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup baking soda
- coarse salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the yeast, oil, milk, and water. Add salt and two cups of flour. Then add more flour gradually until the dough begins to form and clears the sides of the bowl. Knead for 3-4 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky. It is a stiffer, heavier dough than your usual roll dough though.
- Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Portion the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a dough ball and place onto lightly greased parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, add the 3 quarts water, sugar, and baking soda to a 5-6 quart pot and bring the water to a boil.
- Carefully remove the dough balls one at a time from the parchment or mat and gently pinch the sides of the bottom of the dough in to the bottom of the ball. You are pulling the dough taut by forming a pucker of dough on the bottom. Don't totally deflate the dough ball though.
- Gently drop 3-4 dough balls into the boiling water and boil for about 30 seconds each side. The longer you boil, the chewier the pretzel roll will be. Remove the dough ball from the water with a slotted spoon or spatula, letting the excess water drip off.
- Place boiled dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone baking mats.
- Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C.
- Use a very sharp knife or razor to make two parallel shallow cuts in the top of each roll. Lightly sprinkle the tops of the rolls with coarse salt or kosher salt.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are a deep golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
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Sounds so good as a burger bun!
This us gery confusing recipe and instructions. Ingredients says 3 to 4 quarts of water then instructions wanted you to add that to a 5 to 6 quarts of boiling water. Ok that’s fine. But the flour amount is 6 1/2 to 8 cups? That is a lot of difference and it would change it’s textures. Tried them both and wasted my ingredients in both times
CORRECTIONS: This is very confusing
You add 3 qts or water to a pot that holds 5 to 6 qts of water that isnt confusing. Yes thst is a big range in the flour amount. Baking is funny though things like altitude, the weather and inaccuracy in measuring can all make a differnce plus some people aerate their flour some dont. All of those can make an impact on the amount needed.
Hi, Jen. I hope I can bring some clarity for you. 🙂
The instructions for the water part go like this, “While the dough rests, add the 3 quarts water, sugar, and baking soda to a 5-6 quart pot and bring the water to a boil.” So it is 3 quarts water, but you want to use a 5-6 quart size pot.
For the dough and flour, there are so many factors that affect how much flour to use with yeast breads, that’s why there’s a range here for how much you may need. Really, you want to use just enough flour until the dough begins to form and clears the sides of the bowl. And you want the dough to be soft and slightly tacky. So only use as much as you need to achieve that with the dough.
I hope this helps!
Dry active is what I use.
This recipe is genius! I was on the hunt of the perfect pretzel bun recipe for quite some time and this one is amazing. We just had them for breakfast and LOVED them. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved them! Thank you so much for your comment and review on this pretzel roll recipe, Helena.
This was my first time making pretzel rolls and they came out great. I used 7 cups of flour. Also made oven fried chicken to have on the rolls and it was a hit with the family. Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! Thank you for your comment and review, Debbie! I’m glad the pretzel rolls and chicken were a hit.
I don’t have instant yeast, only dry active. Will that still work? Would I need to make any adjustments to the recipe? So excited to try these!
Yes, either yeast will work for these pretzel rolls. Active dry yeast will just need to be dissolved first in the water before adding the other ingredients. 🙂
That is way to much liquid, you’ll create a pancake batter
It actually works out really well as written! Give it a try! 🙂
Would almond milk work with this?
Yes! While I haven’t tried that substitution myself, but I do think that almond would work well in this recipe. Oat milk would be another dairy-free vegan option. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Huge fail, a waste of time and money.. too much flour and oil instead of butter are these tough.. yeast needs to froth prior to adding flour. Experienced baker must make adjustments..
Oh man. I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out for you, Hazel! Instant yeast does not need to froth first. Either way, sorry it was a waste for you. Hope you find a recipe you like. 🙂