These homemade bretzel rolls remind me of a restaurant we used to frequent years ago. Soft, delicious pretzel buns, perfect with dinner or as sandwich buns.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix a 1/3 cup of the warm water (105-115 degrees) with the yeast and let stand until foamy.
Add the remaining cup of warm water along with milk, sugar & melted butter and swirl to dissolve the sugar.
Add flour and mix on medium-low speed.
Remove dough once it forms a nice a firm, pliable dough ball. Add more flour only if necessary.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured table and knead for 2 minutes.
Separate into 12 even pieces. (Hint: use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough ball then divide by twelve to get the weight you will need for each individual roll.)
Cover dough with plastic and a damp cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
Pat and roll dough into balls and arrange on a lightly floured surface about an inch apart, cover with lightly oiled (cooking spray works fine) plastic wrap.
Let the dough rest for an additional 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
In a large stockpot, bring the cold water to a rolling boil.
Add baking soda (it will bubble up almost violently and then relax, don't be alarmed).
Drop two rolls into the boiling water upside down. Boil for no more than 30 seconds, turning once after 15 seconds.
Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and hold above pot to let drain.
Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Repeat with the remaining rolls.
Bake on the upper and middle racks of the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until browned all over. You may want to shift pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through, for even baking.
Let rolls cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
The original recipe said to bake for 8 minutes. That was not long enough and mine usually take a full 15 minutes. Start watching yours at 8 minutes. If they are only lightly browned, try for a few minutes longer.