Pretzel Buns

Recipe credit goes to King Arthur.

Ingredients

Dough

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups (540g) Unbleached Bread Flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

3/4 cup (170g) water, warm

1 cup (226g) milk

Water Bath

2 quarts (1814g) water

1 tablespoon (18g) salt

1/4 cup (57g) baking soda

Recipe

1. 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.

2. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour, until doubled.

3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

4. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Alternatively, for instructions on how to shape long sub-style sandwich buns, see the tip below.

5. Lightly grease a baking sheet; or line the sheet with parchment and grease the parchment. Place the balls on the baking sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

7. Prepare the water bath: Bring the water, salt, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.

8. Drop 5 dough balls at a time into the water bath.

9. Cook for 30 seconds, flip over, and cook for 30 seconds longer. Using a slotted spoon, return the buns to the baking sheet.

10. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut 1/2"-deep crosses into the center of each bun. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

11. Bake the buns for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they're a deep-dark brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.