Pretzel Egg Bun

As I ate my way through Soft-Baked Pretzel deliciousness, I remembered a picture a friend sent me from San Francisco: a savory muffin with a soft-boiled egg inside. Well, that was new (to me). Though I may enjoy myself a pretzel every now and then, I remembered that a pretzel roll served with a poached egg was always so much more. Surely it was no surprise that combining all of the above would result in one of my favorite new baked treats: a Pretzel Egg Bun. The salty and soft pretzel wrapped warmly around the egg, pairing naturally into this twosome. Now if only I could find such a bread in my local bakeries. Until then, here is my interpretation of a breakfast treat you can't help but eat! Enjoy!

Servings: 10-12 Egg Buns

Prep Time: ~2 hours

Pretzel Dough: Using warm (to-the-touch) water, pour the yeast, sugar, and salt together and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a mixer at its lowest setting, stir the yeast mixture, pour in the butter, followed by the flour, 1 cup at a time until dough forms. When dough becomes sticky, dust a clean surface with the remaining flour and knead dough until dough no longer sticks to your hands. Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with oil, and cover and let rise for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.



Soft-Boiled Eggs: In a medium saucepan, place 6 eggs in boiling water and cook covered for 4 minutes (set a timer). Remove to cool slightly. Using cold water, remove the shells and set aside. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

After the dough has risen, punch lightly in the middle to let out air. Divide the dough in half. Roll into a 12" x 12" rectangle and divide into 6 squares. Place a thumb print in the center of each square, and carefully place a soft boiled egg in the center. Fold the dough up, connecting each corner until the egg is sealed. Place in a greased muffin tin.

Pretzel Bath: Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Brush the top of each bun with the baking soda wash until all of the exposed edges are covered. Follow by brushing with the egg wash and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the top of each bun is a light golden brown color. Note - oven times may vary for gas or electric; gas was used for this recipe. Allow to cool slightly before serving.