Salted Pretzel Sticky Buns with Gooey Cinnamon Filling

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough

• 3 ½ cups bread flour
• 2 tbsp rye flour
• 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
• 8 cups water (for boiling)
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 4 tbsp milk (for brushing)
• Pretzel salt, for sprinkling

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft (not melted)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Sticky Bun Sauce

• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
• ⅔ cup light corn syrup
• Pinch of salt

---

Instructions

1. Make the Pretzel Dough

1. Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick spray.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together bread flour, rye flour, and yeast.
3. In another bowl, combine 1 ¼ cups water, oil, brown sugar, and salt. Add to the flour mixture.
4. Using a dough hook, mix on medium speed until dough pulls away from the bowl, about 4 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and no longer sticky, adding flour if needed.
6. Place in the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour) or refrigerate overnight.

---

2. Make the Sticky Bun Sauce

1. With 20 minutes left of dough rising, melt butter in a large saucepan.
2. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
3. Pour sauce into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. (It will firm up, but will melt again when baked.)

---

3. Prepare the Filling

Mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined.

---

4. Assemble the Rolls

1. Once dough has risen, punch it down and divide in half.
2. Roll half of the dough into a rectangle (about 10×15 inches).
3. Spread half of the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly, leaving a 1-inch border.
4. Brush the edges with egg wash.
5. Roll tightly from the short side into a log. Pinch seams and ends to seal completely.
6. Roll gently back and forth to reinforce seams. Place the roll on a wide piece of parchment (about 30×15 inches).

---

5. Poach the Dough

1. Bring 8 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in a roasting pan.
2. Using parchment as a sling, lower the dough roll into the boiling water.
3. Submerge for 30 seconds, pressing parchment down with a spoon so dough is exposed.
4. Flip carefully using the parchment and poach for another 30 seconds.

---

6. Finish & Bake

1. Place the poached roll seam-side down into the prepared sticky bun pan with sauce.
2. Brush with milk and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
3. Bake at 375°F (190°C) until golden brown and bubbling, about 30–35 minutes.
4. Cool slightly before slicing into sticky buns.