Pretzel Bread Rolls

Stephen discovered these rolls.  We've made them a couple of times and they are most delicious--great flavor, slightly chewy outside and soft inside.  Great plain or with garden vegetable cream cheese spread on them.  They make great sandwiches!

1 1/3 cups warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
Kosher salt or sea salt

Parboiling Liquid:
2 quarts boiling water
1/2 cup baking soda

Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it stand until it is foamy.

In the bowl of your mixer, add the warm milk, melted butter, and brown sugar.  Mix together.  Add 4 cups of flour and the yeast and mix together.  Knead the dough for several minutes.  Dough should be a nice pliable dough ball.

Put dough in a covered bowl and let rise until doubled in size (35 to 45 minutes).  Punch down dough and roll into a log.  Divide into 12 portions and form rolls (like hamburger buns).  Put on a floured baking sheet.  You may score an X in the rolls at this point, if you'd like to.  Cover rolls with a cloth allowing rolls to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

When the rolls have risen, preparing the parboiling liquid in a frying pan on the stove top.  Carefully lift the rolls with a spatula into the boiling soda water and cook for no longer than 30 seconds (flipping the rolls over part way through).

Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle rolls with kosher or sea salt.

Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned all over. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before putting rolls on a wire rack.