Have you ever wanted to make soft, chewy, hot & fresh Soft Pretzels at home!? Today I’m walking you through all the steps so you can make your own golden homemade pretzels at home. If I can do it, you can do it!
Today we are tackling Soft Pretzels! You and I, together, we’ve got this.
For when you really want one of those salty, chewy, mall-style pretzels but you don’t want to change out of your comfy pants and actually go to the mall. Side note, does anyone actually go to the mall anymore? Or are we all just shopping online now? Or am I the only who doesn’t leave my house for fear of being asked by an associate if they can help me with anything?
Anyway, Soft Pretzels! Yes, they are made with a yeast-based dough. Yes, they require bread flour rather than our standard all-purpose flour (more on that below). Yes, they require a bath before we can bake them (more on that below, too). But while these things may sound a little foreign and scary, especially if you usually stick to cookies 🙋🏼, there’s actually nothing very complex about making pretzels, once you get down to it. The hardest part for me was just figuring out how to twist my dough into an actual pretzel shape.
Let’s get to it, and remember, for extra help you can always check out my step-by-step video at the bottom of the recipe (and leave me a comment with any questions!)!
The Best Flour for Making Soft Pretzels
I really recommend that you use bread flour rather than all purpose when making soft pretzels. Bread flour has a higher gluten content, which in this case yields softer and chewier soft pretzels than you could expect with all purpose flour.
With some recipes, you can get away with using all purpose flour in place of bread flour (I often do in my popular pizza dough recipe), but I really recommend using bread flour for this soft pretzel recipe.
How to Twist a Pretzel
It’s easier to show you than it is to explain in writing, but I’ll give it my best shot. Start by taking your rope of pretzel dough and form it into a “U” shape. Cross the ends over one another, then cross again (see first and second picture, below). Next take your crossed/twisted ends and fold them down over the bottom of the pretzel (third picture, below).
The Importance of a Baking Soda Bath
Before we can bake our soft pretzels, we have to give them a bath. A baking soda bath, to be specific. You’ll bring 8 cups of water and 1/4 cup (yes, cup) of baking soda to a boil in a large pot and boil each pretzel in this solution for 60 seconds. Yes, it’s extra work, but it’s going to help give our soft pretzels their shiny brown appearance and their chewy texture. It’s what’s going to make our soft pretzels actual soft pretzels!
It’s this brief alkaline bath that encourages your soft pretzels to brown more quickly and develop that crisp exterior and chewy interior. It’s what gives them their signature brown exterior. Traditional/professional soft pretzel makers often actually boil their pretzels in lye (which is much more alkaline) and some people like to bake their baking soda before boiling it to make it more alkaline. That’s a bit more time consuming and I’m perfectly happy with the brief baking soda bath I use here, but more power to you if you want to give that a shot!
Anyway, the moral of my rambling is: skip the baking soda bath and you’ll end up with pretzels that look and taste much more like pale, dull, twisted breadsticks (like a garlic-less Garlic Knot), and much less like glorious mall-style soft pretzels. If you’re a baking nerd like I am, you might find this article interesting, I thought it was an enjoyable read that also covered some of the science behind this process!
While I enjoy a good savory soft pretzel dipped in mustard, you probably won’ be surprised that at the mall I always go for cinnamon sugar pretzels instead. I included instructions in the notes below so you can make your own cinnamon sugar pretzels at home if you prefer sweet to savory, too (my people… 💜)!
Enjoy!
I hope you will check out my Soft Pretzel video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 100 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour plus additional as needed (375g+)
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant/rapid rise yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup hot water between 110-115F/43-46C
For rising/boiling/baking
- Olive or canola oil for bowl
- 8 cups water
- ¼ cup baking soda (yes that is correct, 1/4 cup)
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 Tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine bread flour (3 cups/375g), brown sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer that’s been fitted with a dough hook. Stir until combined.
- Add melted butter and water and stir on low speed until completely combined. Continue to stir until a smooth elastic dough forms that clings to itself and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be slightly tacky but not unmanageably sticky. If needed, stir in additional bread flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time (I often need to add 1-2 additional Tablespoons).
- Lightly brush a large bowl with olive oil and place your dough ball into oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes/until doubled in size (the top of my oven is usually quite warm while preheating, so I’ll usually turn on my oven to 450F/230C at this point and place my dough on top).
- Preheat oven to 450F/230C and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once pretzel dough has finished rising, transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and divide dough into 10 even pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a long thin rope (mine were about 20-24” long!) and twist into a pretzel shape (see photos in post [above] or demonstration in video [below] for example). It's easy to roll the dough between your palms while stretching. You may also roll it with your palms against a clean surface, don't flour the surface very much or it will be difficult to work the dough.
- Combine water and baking soda in a large deep dish (I like to use a Dutch oven) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, gently lower each pretzel into the boiling water/baking soda mixture. Boil for 30 seconds on each side then drain and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels, spacing at least 1 1/2” apart.
- Whisk together lightly beaten egg and 1 Tablespoon water and brush over each pretzel. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, as desired (see notes for instructions on making cinnamon sugar soft pretzels).
- Transfer to 450F (230C) oven and bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool several minutes, then enjoy. Pretzels are best enjoyed warm the day they are made.
Notes
To make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels:
Do not top your pretzels with salt and bake as indicated. Meanwhile melt ¼ cup salted butter and stir together ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Once pretzels have finished baking, allow to cool for several minutes then brush generously with butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon/sugar.Nutrition
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Yasmin says
Thank you so much for this recipe.
We had soft pretzel bites at a mall ( a deserted one.. ) in Savannah last Automn. And since you can’t find them anywhere in my country, my daughter begged me to make these at home.
To make the bites, I divided the dough into 8 pieces and rolled them evenly and cut them into equal sized pieces. I put them in the soda bath for 30 seconds( like you) and baked for 11 minutes in a 220 c oven.
They turned out beautiful and delicious!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Yasmin. 🙂
Adrianna says
Can’t wait to try the recipe! One question: If I wanted to make Pretzel bites instead of full sized pretzels, should I still boil/bake them for the same amount of time?
Sam says
Hi Adrianna! I haven’t tried making them smaller but I would imagine they may need a few minutes less, not a whole lot though. 🙂
Melissa says
These pretzels were so easy to make!!! My son helped me make them and everyone loved how wonderful they tasted! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Melissa! 🙂
Melver Moore says
I have active dry yeast how can I use that instead of instant yeast? Making these tomorrow for the first try.
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Melver! Yes, it can! Another user who used active dry yeast (same amount listed on the recipe) proofed the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water + 1 tsp sugar before putting it in the flour mixture. Then added the rest of the wet ingredients and flour. After about 45 mins it should double in size! I hope that helps! 🙂
Jacqueline says
AMAZING! Now I know I can always trust your recipes for the most delicious treats. I have tried your pizza dough, cinnamon rolls and now these delicious pretzels :)) I have been completely satisfied with each one! slowly but surely I will make everything that you have posted! Im such a fan <3
Sugar Spun Run says
Your comment made my day, Jacqueline! I am so glad that you have enjoyed all the recipes that you have tried so far. I greatly appreciate your feedback and support. Thank you so much for being a fan. 🙂
Joanne says
Hi, Sam. Made your bagel recipe and it was fantastic so I plan on making pretzels this weekend. I just want to confirm that after the dough pulls away from side of bowl, it doesn’t get kneaded. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the bagels, Joanne! I am excited for you to try this recipe next! No need to knead the dough you will sort of do that as you begin to roll it out. Keep me posted on how they turn out! I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Courtney Riscica says
First try on the pretzels- and WOW. Very easy to make. Used a Le Crueset Chicken Fryer for the baking soda boil. Bonus- the boiling removed the brown stains from the interior enamel! LOL I baked on silpats with excellent results. Ended up baking for the full 12 minutes, and the color was beautiful. This recipe is a keeper!
Sam says
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for letting me know how these turned out for you, Courtney! I appreciate it! 🙂
MM says
I’ve been craving pretzels and had some Seal of Minnesota flour I had been wanting to use. I’m usually not the best at dough and don’t have a fancy mixer, but these were really wonderful on my first try! I will be making these again, for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that the homemade pretzels cured your craving and you enjoyed them, MM! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Tonisia G. says
Delicious, cooked these as a family for dessert!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that your family enjoyed them, Tonisia! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Julie says
I just made these. Great recipe. I had to eat one while still warm. I dipped it in cheese sauce. Oh my! I’d send a pic if I could. Thank you!
Julie
Sugar Spun Run says
Yum! That sounds incredible, Julie! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pretzels. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Teresa says
Well, I made these today with my grandson. They are so easy! I mixed them then put dough in my Instant pot to rise while I ran out to do my grocery run. Anyways, it was a very easy dough to mix together, left it to rise, took it out rolled them and put them into pretzels onto the pan they went. The longest part was waiting for the baking soda water to boil. I haven’t eaten one yet. But come back and let you know. …
Teresa says
We have just eaten these wonderful pretzels!!,
OMG…OMG…They are AMAZING! Great flavour, perfect chewiness, some crispness on the browned salted outside and very light! Love this recipe! Will definitely make these again with family and probably double the recipe because of their awesomeness!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that they were such a hit with your family, Teresa! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you for trying my recipe, Teresa! I am so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Linnea says
Hi. As i am 12 years old, im not alowed to use my oven at home. But when i show my mom your recipes, she says were going to make them sometime. I hope they turn out good, and im pretty sure they will.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you found my site and came across my recipe, Linnea! I hope that you have fun making it with your mom! Enjoy! 🙂