pretzel buns

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups warm milk
• 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• sea salt

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 23 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 53 mins


• sprinkle the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar over 1/2 cup of warm water in a small bowl. the water should be no more than 100 degrees f (40 degrees c). let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• add milk, shortening, eggs, oil, 3 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. blend with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. mix in remaining 3 cups of flour by hand, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. when the dough has pulled together, turn it out a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. the dough will be sticky.
• lightly oil a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees f (27 to 35 degrees c)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. uncover the dough and punch it down.
• preheat an oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• pull off baseball size portions of dough and roll into "snakes" about 6 inches long. roll each "snake" into a spiral to give the tops some texture. set each formed bun aside.
• mix the baking soda and 4 cups hot water in a bowl. the baking soda does not need to dissolve completely. dip each bun in the baking soda solution before placing on a baking sheet. brush each bun with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. bake in the preheated oven until brown, 20 to 25 minutes. cool on a wire rack or brown paper bag.