Pretzel Bread with Pizza Topping, my daughters’ favorite snack to take to school. Who can blame them? These rolls are incredibly delicious, and I love them too!
They are made like the classic pretzel bread, with dough made from classic ingredients like flour, yeast, water, milk, salt, sugar, and a bit of butter, then boiled in water and baking soda, which is the secret to their distinctive color, and before baking, they are topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and oregano.
Perfect for a snack, to take to the office, school, or a picnic, but also to serve in slices with an aperitif!
If you’re a fan of pizza & co. try these other recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 20
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 3/4 tsp dry yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 cups water (lukewarm)
- 1/3 cup milk (lukewarm)
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 1/2 tbsp butter (softened)
- 1 2/3 cups tomato sauce
- 8 3/4 oz mozzarella for pizza
- to taste oregano
- 2 qt water
- 3.5 oz baking soda
Steps
To prepare the Pretzel Bread with Pizza Topping, place the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of the mixer and mix. Add lukewarm water and milk and turn on the mixer. After a few moments, also add the salt. Knead until the dough forms.
At this point, add the softened butter in cubes. Knead until the dough is well-developed, meaning it’s detached from the bottom and sides of the bowl and is twisted around the hook, appearing smooth and elastic.
Form a ball and let it rise covered, in a warm place, until doubled, this will take about 2.5-3 hours.
When the dough has doubled, divide it into 20 equal pieces with the help of a scale and form a smooth, slightly elongated roll with each by gently stretching the dough towards the back and pinching, so that the surface remains nice and smooth.Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rest covered, in a warm place, for another 30 minutes or so.
Cut the mozzarella into 20 slices.
Put the water in a large pot, add the baking soda, and dissolve it by mixing. Bring to a boil and as soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Then dip the rolls, a few at a time, and let them simmer for 1 minute, turning them halfway through cooking.
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, letting them drain for a few moments, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
With a sharp knife, make a fairly deep incision down the center of each roll, lengthwise, and with the help of your hands, open the incision like a book.Top the rolls with a generous spoonful of tomato sauce, a slice of mozzarella, and oregano to taste.
Bake at 355°F for 22-25 minutes, until the dough has achieved the classic brown color.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Suggestions
The Pretzel Bread with Pizza Topping can also be frozen in food bags and once defrosted, it will be like freshly baked.
