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Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe

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4.3 from 10 reviews

These Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels are golden brown, chewy, and perfectly salted. Made from simple pantry staples, the pretzels are given a quick baking soda bath before being baked to bakery-style perfection. Serve warm with mustard, cheese dip, or caramel sauce for a delicious salty-sweet treat.

  • Author: Zara
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
  • Yield: 8 pretzels
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: European, German

Ingredients

Pretzels

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115°F)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt or other fine grain salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Baking soda bath

  • 10 cups water (2.5 quarts)
  • 2/3 cup baking soda

Egg wash and salt topping

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup coarse pretzel salt or kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare Yeast Mixture: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water, sugar, and salt. Stir in the active dry yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
  2. Make Dough: Add all-purpose flour and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, firm, and not sticky.
  3. First Rise: Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  4. Prepare Baking Soda Bath: In a large pot, bring 10 cups water and 2/3 cup baking soda to a full boil.
  5. Shape Pretzels: Lightly spray a work surface with cooking spray. Turn the risen dough out onto the surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Cover remaining dough with a damp cloth. Roll each piece into a 24-inch long rope. Let rest if dough springs back. Form each rope into a U-shape, cross the ends twice, and press ends onto the bottom of the U to shape pretzels. Place each on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  6. Baking Soda Bath Dip: Boil each pretzel in the baking soda water for about 30 seconds, one at a time. Remove carefully with a slotted spatula and return pretzels to parchment-lined baking sheets (4 per sheet).
  7. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
  8. Apply Egg Wash and Bake: Beat egg yolk and water. Brush each pretzel with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Bake pretzels for 6 minutes.
  9. Salt and Final Bake: Remove pretzels from oven. Re-brush each with egg wash, sprinkle generously with coarse pretzel salt, and bake for another 6 minutes until deep brown.
  10. Cool and Serve: Let pretzels cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm with honey mustard or cheese dip.

Notes

  • Cinnamon-Sugar Soft Pretzels: Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Omit coarse salt, brush baked pretzels with melted butter, and coat in cinnamon-sugar.
  • Storage: Cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Salt may melt but pretzels remain flavorful.
  • Freezing: Wrap pretzels tightly in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. For freezing, skip second egg wash and salting step; bake plain.
  • Reheating: From frozen, warm pretzels at 350°F for 10–12 minutes. From room temp, warm 5–7 minutes. After reheating, brush with melted butter or water and sprinkle salt, then briefly bake 1–2 minutes to set salt.

Find it online: https://zaracooking.com/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/