Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café—Pretzel Buns

I’m one of those people who can be pretty satisfied eating the same few foods over and over again.  It’s not necessarily the best idea; after all, we need some variety to make sure we’re getting all the micronutrients essential for good health.  I just don’t need a lot of variety.  My husband, on the other hand, craves novelty and creative presentation in his meals.  He doesn’t often get it, however, with life being so busy.  But I try to express my appreciation for him with his food every once in a while. 

And he really loves pretzel buns for his hot dogs.  They’re a bit expensive and hard to find in stores when all is well in the world.  I thought I’d try making them for him and was pleased to find that all the ingredients are regular food storage items.  They take a bit longer than the hot dog buns I normally make (and prefer), but not too much longer.  

Pretzel Buns

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup gluten

¼ cup powdered milk

1 ¾ cups warm water

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 teaspoons instant yeast

¾ teaspoon salt

 

Pretzel salt/coarse salt

 

Water bath

2 quarts water

¼ cup baking soda

1 tablespoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pretzel salt (I used kosher since it is what I had) and knead the dough ingredients until smooth, about 8 minutes.  You want a smooth and only slightly sticky dough.

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix and knead the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.  Let dough rise in an oiled bowl, covered, until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes. 

Deflate dough and divide into 10 equal pieces.  Form each into a ball or log.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Water bath:

In a large pot, bring the water, baking soda, and salt to a boil.  Gently place 4-5 dough balls in the water bath.  Boil for 30 seconds, flip, and boil another 30 seconds.  Use a slotted spoon to quickly remove the dough from the water bath and again place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut 1/2"-deep crosses into the center of each bun or lengthwise down the center for hot dog buns.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake 20-24 minutes, or until buns are dark brown.  Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.

Reviews:  These are basically good, but they take a little practice to get just right.  Don’t let the rolls rise too much, and don’t boil them too long in the water bath.  They taste really good, but to me, they aren’t better than the regular hot dog buns I make.  I wouldn’t make them for myself, but I’d do it for my husband.

Links to related posts:

Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns

References:

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pretzel-sandwich-buns-recipe