Pretzel Burger Buns (Laugenbrötchen)
Freshly baked pretzel burger buns take your homemade burgers or sandwiches to a whole new level AND they're easier to make than you might think. No scary lye required!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 310kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups milk lukewarm
- 7 g instant yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted, softened, cubed
Water Bath
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp baking soda
Topping
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds white
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or a large spoon, combine all ingredients, and knead the dough until you have a homogenous dough ball (3-5 minutes).1 1/4 cups milk, 7 g instant yeast, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup butter
- Place the dough into a large clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, plate, or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. It will significantly increase in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Form 4 large, 8 regular-sized, or 16 slider burger buns (Note 2). Add the dough balls to 1 or 2 baking tray(s) and rest them for another 30 minutes.
- To make the baking soda water, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda one tablespoon at a time (Note 1) and bring it to a boil again. Reduce to a simmer and add the burger buns to a ladle one by one. Boil them in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each, turning them half way. They will float at the top. Transfer them back to a lined baking tray.3 tbsp baking soda, 4 cups water
- Add your topping of choice. I add sesame seeds but coarse salt is a common choice as well. Score a small + onto pretzel burger buns with a sharp knife at the top.2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Bake the burger buns for 17 minutes until they've reached the dark brown pretzel color. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack if you have one. Serve with a generous lashing of butter while warm (Note 3).
Notes
Note 1: Be careful when adding the baking soda to the boiling water as it initially will bubble up. Add it 1 tablespoon at a time.
Note 2: This recipe makes 4 large, 8 regular-sized, or 16 slider pretzel buns. The images show regular-sized buns which make a great side, lunchbox addition, and fit perfectly into little hands.
Note 3: Pretzel buns are best enjoyed warm and I recommend eating them within a day as they easily get stale.
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1880mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg
