Turkey Burgers on Homemade Pretzel Buns

One of our very favorite things to make is turkey burgers (my recipe HERE). We literally have them once a week. They are super simple to make, fun to throw on the grill, delicious and healthy.

I make them so often that I have to come up with new ways to make them fun and interesting—like this time I made them into sliders for the Super Bowl. I few months ago I made soft pretzels and used the left over dough to make pizza crust. It was amazing and Jacobs and I both said, "wouldn't this be good as a hamburger bun?"

Last night I did just that—make soft pretzel hamburger buns and they were not only beautiful but tasted amazing. I can't wait to make them again! Next time I am going to make a bunch, bake them and freeze them so we can just pull them out of the freezer and use when needed.

You start by making the dough, just as you would when making soft pretzels: yeast in water; add sugar, salt and flour; form into a ball; let rise for one hour.

The next step is the change up. Instead of making pretzel twists, you form tight smooth balls of dough, dip them in the baking soda boiling water, egg wash, slice and then bake.

They come out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just like a pretzel only in bun form. Brilliant.

Let them cool, slice them up and add your favorite burger and toppings. They are great sandwich buns for anything you can dream up!

Homemade Pretzel Buns 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 package active dry yeast 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted Vegetable oil, for pan 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Sea salt Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and brush with the vegetable oil (this is important as they will stick to the parchment paper if you do not brush with oil). Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface, punch down and divide into 5 equal pieces. Form each piece into a tight, smooth ball. Boil each ball in the solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute. Remove buns from pot using a slotted spoon and place on the greased baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the loaves are evenly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.