Comfy Cuisine- Home Recipes from Family & Friends: Pretzel Sandwich Rolls

by maximios • Recipes

I’ve always had a weakness for a soft pretzel – from the mall, even a street vendor. They just seem to taste better when you are watching a parade! Smothered with lots of yellow mustard…yummmm! This is a sandwich version – think of the things you could put in the middle of this!
Ingredients:

1 pkg. dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. half & half
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
3 to 4 cups bread flour
3 Tbsp. baking soda

Combine warm water, dark brown sugar and honey in a mixing bowl and stir. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand until mixture begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, add half & half and add to yeast with teaspoon of salt. Measure out 2 cups of flour and add to bowl. With mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix until incorporated. Add additional flour 1/3 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Knead on low setting for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape dough into balls, pinching the bottom together and then rolling lightly with the ball of your hand. Place on lightly floured baking sheet and cover lightly with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. While rolls are rising, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Bring heat down to a medium simmer and add baking soda. This foams up quickly so add one tablespoon at a time. Now the fun begins. The fun part only because it means one thing – you are getting closer to eating one of these delicious rolls. When rolls are ready, carefully drop rolls into the baking soda bath one at a time with the side that will be the bottom facing up. Poach for 30 seconds, carefully turn the roll over in the liquid and poach for another 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, remove the rolls from the water and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down. Glaze each roll with lightly beaten egg wash coating all sides. Sprinkle with pretzel salt. With a sharp, straight edge, cut a slash or an “X” in the top of each roll.