Soft Pretzels

These homemade soft pretzels are golden brown on the outside with a soft, fluffy, and chewy center. A quick baking soda bath gives them that classic pretzel flavor and texture, and you can use regular or baked baking soda for delicious results.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 10

Servings: pretzels

Video

Ingredients

Dough:

480 g warm water around 105°F(2 cups)
12 g instant yeast (4 teaspoons)
110 g light or dark brown sugar packed (½ cup)
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
57 g unsalted butter melted (¼ cup/4 tablespoons)
820 g all-purpose flour (7 cups)

Baking soda bath:

1.2 kg water (5 cups)
75 g baking soda (I prefer to use baked baking soda) (⅓ cup)

Topping

57 g unsalted butter melted (¼ cup/4 tablespoons)
optional: pretzel salt, flaky sea salt, cinnamon sugar

Instructions

Make the dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, yeast, brown sugar, fine salt, melted butter and about half of the flour. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth and the ingredients are fully incorporated, about 1 minute. While on low, gradually add the remaining flour, allowing it to fully incorporate after each addition. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, on low speed, until it comes to a smooth, elastic dough. It should clean the sides of the bowl as it's kneading.
480 g warm water
12 g instant yeast
110 g light or dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
57 g unsalted butter
820 g all-purpose flour
Rest the dough: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. (You can also refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours at this point.)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces.
Shape the pretzels: Roll each piece into about a 30-inch-long rope. Working from the center and rolling outwards makes this job quick and easy. To shape a pretzel, bring the ends up into a "U" shape, twist once, then fold over and press the ends to the bottom portion to get a pretzel shape.
*Heather's tip: Use a clean work surface to roll the dough - if it's too floured, the dough will just slide around and will be difficult to roll.
Place the pretzels on a lined baking sheet. Silicone mats work best for this. Parchment can also be used but be sure to spray it with nonstick spray.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and baking soda. Bring the baking soda bath to a low boil. Drop 1-2 pretzels in and boil for about 20 seconds. Remove and place back onto the baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle with pretzel salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
1.2 kg water
75 g baking soda (I prefer to use baked baking soda)
Bake for 7-9 minutes until golden. Melt the butter and set aside.
57 g unsalted butter
Immediately after removing the pretzels from oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle flaky salt over the tops. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying. Serve warm and pair with your favorite dipping sauce!

Notes

My biggest tip: For extra delicious, fluffy pretzels, cover and refrigerate dough overnight. Remove from refrigerator, let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, and continue to shape and bake as directed.
Flour substitution: You can swap out the all-purpose flour for bread flour or freshly milled wheat flour. When incorporating whole grain flour, start with replacing only 20% of the white flour and see how you like it. The more whole grain flour in bread, the denser it will be. Reduce the water content by about 10% to compensate for the increase in protein in the flour.
For cinnamon sugar pretzels, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Brush the pretzel with butter after baking and coat with the cinnamon sugar topping.
For pretzel bites, roll divided dough out into 20-inch-long rope and cut 2 inch pieces. Boil in water about 10 seconds and bake about 6-7 minutes.
Try other variations like: sprinkling with freshly grated parmesan cheese before baking, sprinkle with garlic powder & Kraft parmesan cheese before baking, layer on some pepperoni before baking. These are all so yummy with a marinara or Alfredo dipping sauce.
Make Ahead Options:
- Make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of time, and refrigerate it until ready to use. This adds a better flavor and texture. Before shaping, let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- When freezing baked soft pretzels, don't add the salt. Completely cool them and then place in a zip top bag. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. To serve, preheat oven to 350°F. If adding pretzel salt, brush the pretzels with water and sprinkle the salt over them. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes, or until warm all the way through.
- Flash freeze the pretzels after the baking soda bath, but before baking. After the baking soda bath, place the soft pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment, sprayed with nonstick spray. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours, until they're frozen solid. Place them in a zip top freezer bag and press out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. To bake, preheat oven to 425°F. If adding pretzel salt, brush the pretzels with water and sprinkle the salt over them. Bake the frozen soft pretzels for 12 to 15 minutes (no need to thaw them), or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter after baking.

Nutrition