Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrot)
These pretzel buns or Laugenbrot are a specialty in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
I can’t describe how delicious they are, just like a pretzel. Amazing!!!
Pretzel buns are really not difficult to make, and they take about 2 hours from start to finish.
Don’t skip the baking soda bath. Boiling the buns in a baking soda bath prior to baking gives them their signature chewy crust. Traditionally the pretzels were dipped in food-grade lye. However, lye is not easy to find and requires special precautions in order to use it safely.
Sprinkle coarse sea salt, sesame seeds or poppy seeds as soon as you lift the buns out of the water or they won’t stick.
They are great as a sandwich, with burgers instead of a traditional burger bun or as dinner rolls. I love to eat them hot out of the oven just with butter and maybe a thick slice of Swiss cheese.
You can store the pretzel buns in a zip lock bag for 1 or 2 days. Reheat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and they’ll taste like they just came out of the oven.
Have you ever had pretzel buns? If your answer is no, you’re missing out! :)
Recipe slightly adapted from Anice e Cannella
How To Make It: Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrot)
Ingredients
- 4 cups+2 tablespoons (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup+2 tablespoons (270 ml) water
- 1½ teaspoon (5 g) dry yeast
- 1½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter at room temperature and diced
- 1½ teaspoon (10 g) salt
For the baking soda bath:
- 1 quart (1 l) water
- 8 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- To sprinkle: coarse sea salt, sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and 1¼ cup (150 g) of flour. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Add the remaining flour, butter, salt and mix until the dough is smooth.
- Make a ball, put it in a bowl covered with cling film and let it rise for 30 minutes.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 20-22 pieces (more or less weighting 35 grams/ 1.2 ounces) and shape each piece into a ball.
- Let them rest for 10 minutes.
- While the dough rests, bring the water, salt and baking soda to a boil in a large pan.
- Place 7 or 8 balls in the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the balls from the boiling water and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Lightly sprinkle each bun with coarse salt, sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
- Using a very sharp knife, make 2 slits on top of each unbaked roll.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the rolls are deep golden brown.
- Serve the pretzel buns warm.
- Enjoy!
These are fantastic and turn out perfectly. Really delicious!
I’ve made this recipe a gajillion times and recently tried it with sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. It was super successful and I posted how I adapted it (linked to your blog of course!) on a sourdough fb page. Tons of people have tried it with tons of success! Just want you to know, this recipe is the BOMB! Thank you!!
Glad you like this recipe, Katherine! I would love to try it with sourdough starter… unfortunately mine died!
How might I find that, Katherine?
Hi,
Sorry if it sounds silly but, do you dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water in step 1? Many thanks! I got hooked on Laugenbrezel whilst in Switzerland and I can’t wait to make these!
Hi Ana! You dissolve them in lukewarm water. I hope you will like this recipe, let me know how it goes! :)
I tried it yesterday, it’s amazing!Taste just like what I bought in Berlin! Thanks so much for your sharing!
Hi Karen! Thank you for your feedback. I am so glad you liked this recipe. :)
This year while skiing in Austria we developed a taste for Laugenbrot (actually Laugenstange). In particular my 3 year old son adores it. So I decided to make it. This recipe is deservedly the first to pop up on Google. It worked the first time and the results (destroyed in a matter of hours) are yummy and look taste and feel just like the bought product. Thanks.
What a nice compliment, thank you Jan! :) I’m thrilled you loved them!
Hi, If I made them bigger for hamburgers, would it affect the boiling and baking times?
Thanks, they look great.
Hi! The boiling time will be the same. For the baking time it might take a little bit longer. Just check when they are deep golden brown :)
Super good recipe and it is a success even for first timer !!! Beautiful delicious bread
So glad you liked this recipe, Pauline! :)
These look so yummy! They remind me of rolls we used to get while living in Germany. I will have to give them a try – I am sure they will take me back to Germany and the fresh bread we got there.
Thank you Cynthia! Let me know if you try them :)