Beer Pretzel Rolls

I have no idea how frequently I'll be posting here on Pyroclastic Eats, but here we are on Day 2 and I already have the urge to share another recipe so I figured I'd go with it.  This one is a big hit with my friends and co-workers and takes us into the realm of bread making.

I started poking around with making bread only about two years ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite things to do.  Even when I don't need bread for myself, I sometimes find myself getting a bread making itch that just needs to be scratched and I find myself putting together something to give away to my neighbors, friends, or family.

For some reason bread recipes scare some people.  They think bread making is inaccessible except to those with special training or tools.  I'm going to tell you right now that that line of thinking is completely incorrect.  You can make bread easily and at a ridiculously fraction of the cost of what you'll pay at the supermarket.  It does take some time, but most of that time is spent waiting while the ingredients do their thing.  The actual time spent working is usually very minimal.

But today's recipe isn't traditional bread.  We're actually going to make rolls.  Not just ordinary rolls, but pretzel rolls.  And not just regular pretzel rolls, but Beer Pretzel Rolls.

I know with certainty that I will come back to how to make "regular" bread and "regular" rolls later on, but I wanted to start our discussion of bread making with something a little more out in left field to illustrate that even with a recipe like this, bread making isn't something you should fear.  It also doesn't hurt that Beer Pretzel Rolls taste amazing and are sexy as hell.

So let's do this thing, shall we?

Beer Pretzel Rolls Recipe:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes work; 2 hours total

Cooking Time: 15-18 minutes

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups lager or pale ale (room temperature)
• 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp butter (melted)
• 1 package (2 1/4 Tbsp) of rapid-rise active dry yeast
• 3-4 cups bread flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 2 tsp coarse salt

Directions:

1. Combine lager, brown sugar, milk, butter, and yeast in large bowl of stand mixer.^T1  Add 1 cup of flour and 2 teaspoons salt; beat at low speed with paddle attachment 2 minutes.
2. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook.  Add enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make stiff dough that cleans side of bowl.  I personally have found that only 2 additional cups is necessary.  Knead at low speed about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Shape dough into a ball.  Place dough in greased bowl; turn to grease top.  Cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead several times.^T2  Divide dough into 12 pieces; shape each piece into a smooth ball by gently pulling tip surface to underside and pinching bottom to seal.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Position oven rack in center of oven.  Preheat over to 425°F.  Line second baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Bring water and baking soda to a boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add rolls to solution, a few at a time; cook until puffed, turning once.  Drain rolls on clean kitchen towel; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.  Cut 1 1/2 inch "X" in top of each roll with kitchen scissors.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.
7. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
8. Enjoy!

Print friendly version

Original recipe via Bread by Publications International, Ltd.

Techniques:
^T1 As written, this recipe assumes you have a standing mixer.  I do not recommend you buy one unless you either plan on making a lot of baked goods and/or bread or have the disposable income to pick one up without much care as they are expensive.  This does not mean that you cannot make this recipe without a standing mixer however.  In fact, my first year of making bread was done entirely without one.  It just takes more effort and time:

• Beating:  Usually this can be done either with a whisk or an electronic hand mixer.  Especially if using a whisk, disregard the timing provided as your manual hand beating will take more time to develop the mixture you are seeking.  Instead, beat until the mixture feels "right".  The goal here usually is to mix things to the point that there is consistency in the separation of the ingredients.
• Kneading:  This is best done by hand.  Watch this video if you are unfamiliar with how to do so.  As this recipe requires you to add flour while kneading, it is best that you knead for a bit, add a bit of flour (probably half of what the recipe calls for) and then knead some more before adding more.  Continue until the full amount of additional flour is added and then knead one last time before moving on. 

^T2 Even if you are using a standing mixer, this recipe will require you to knead the dough a bit by hand.  It's honestly not that difficult and you may even find it fun!

These Beer Pretzel Rolls can be enjoyed as a snack just as they are, but some people like to cut them in half and add butter or mustard.  As a fair bit of warning, I will tell you that they are best consumed shortly after baking as that's when they are at their crispest on the outside and tender on the inside.  Letting them sit too long will make the crust soften and the inside harden.  Which is still quite tasty, but not optimal for the full experience.  So plan ahead and set aside a little time to make these a couple hours before you plan to share them if at all possible.

If that's not possible and you need to make these the night before an event, I can tell you from experience that people still love them.

Be well, enjoy, have fun, and let me know how it all goes down.