Easy Homemade Sourdough Pretzel Dinner Rolls Recipe
These Sourdough Pretzel Dinner Rolls are incredibly delicious and so much fun to make!
I love soft sourdough pretzels and have a Sourdough Pretzel Hamburger Bun Recipe, but these dinner rolls are the perfect recipe for a side dish for your holiday meals.
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I make these rolls with freshly milled hard white wheat making them light and airy. You can use store bought flour if you wish.
For milling my own flour, I use the Nutrimill Classic Grain Mill
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved soft pretzels. I used to buy them at the mall and dip them in honey mustard.
For some reason as an adult, I have only made pretzels a handful of times. I decided it was time to change that and make these rolls.
It’s the best of both worlds, pretzels and dinner rolls in one! Yes, please!
The thing I love about pretzels is the outer salty crust and chewy interior. What I love about dinner rolls is the soft, fluffy texture with that buttery flavor.
This recipe takes the best of both and makes a roll to be very proud of and serve with your Christmas dinner!
If you are new to sourdough, you will need to make a Sourdough Starter
What is Active Sourdough Starter?
Active starter is starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours. It is active and bubbly and has a pleasant smell.
This stage of starter is best for recipes that require a rise.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is starter that is hungry and hasn’t been fed recently. It will have a liquid on top and an acetone odor.
This stage of a starter is best for recipes that do not require a rise.
For this recipe you will need
- Flour– I use freshly milled hard white wheat flour. You can make these with all purpose flour, bread flour, or even store bought whole wheat flour.
- Sourdough Starter– For best results, use active/fed sourdough starter.
- Water
- Salt
- Olive Oil– Adding olive oil makes the rolls so soft! You can use melted coconut oil or melted butter.
- Honey– Although the honey is optional, it is recommended if using freshly milled flour.
- Coarse Sea Salt for Topping
Step-by-Step Instructions for making these homemade pretzel rolls
Mix the dough
The morning of the day you want to make these, or the night before, combine the water, sourdough starter, oil, honey, and 2 cups of flour.
Cover and let soak for 30 minutes to an hour if using freshly milled flour.
I prefer to add my ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. I use the Nutrimill Artiste Stand Mixer
Of course, you can mix this dough in a large bowl and knead by hand.
After soaking, turn mixer on low speed and add the salt and add flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a soft dough that cleans the sides of the mixing bowl.
Knead the dough
Knead the dough for 10 minutes on speed 2 or until the dough is glossy and stretchy.
Tip: If your house is particularly cool, you can start with warm water. Take care to not go above 95 degrees F.
You will need between 3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour.
Bulk Fermentation
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a bowl cover. Allow to ferment overnight or for 4-6 hours at room temperature for the bulk fermentation.
Shape the rolls
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper.
Shape each piece of dough into a small dough ball.
Second Rise
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Water Bath
In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda for the baking soda bath.
Drop the dough balls into the boiling water using a slotted spoon for 1-2 minutes on each side.
The water bath gives the signature flavor and chewy crust of a soft pretzel. The longer you let them cook in the water the chewier the crust.
Optionally, you can slash the tops of the rolls with razor blade or sharp knife.
Place back on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt or pretzel salt.
Bake the rolls
Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
Once out of the oven, drizzle with melted butter.
Check out all of my Sourdough Recipes
Storage Tips
Store in plastic bag or airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
Store in freezer in freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Sourdough Pretzel Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey optional
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2-4 cups freshly milled flour I used hard white wheat
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, add the water, oil, starter, honey, salt, and 3 cups of the flour and mix well.
- Continue adding enough flour to get a stiff dough. Not dry, but, no slack.
- Knead for 10-12 minutes or until soft and smooth.
- Add to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow to rise for 4-8 hours.
- Turn the dough onto a worksurface and divide into 12 equal parts.
- Shape the dough into smooth dough balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add 1/4 cup baking soda.
- Drop each roll in and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
- Place back on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Drizzle with melted butter when they come out of the oven.
These look great! Will this recipe work for soft pretzels too? Or would a more specific sourdough soft pretzel recipe be better for that?
This recipe will work for soft pretzels. The shaping is the only difference. Other than that, it would be the same.