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 ¼ 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 (375 g) bread flour plus additional as needed
- 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, ¼ 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.3 cups (375 g) bread flour, 3 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons instant/rapid rise yeast, 1 teaspoon salt
- 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).2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup hot water
- 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).Olive or canola oil
- 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 ½” apart.8 cups water, ¼ cup baking soda
- 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).1 large egg, 1 Tablespoon water, Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
- 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Carole M.
Hi, Sam
I was thinking about making these for a family gathering, and wondered if you know if I could prep them through the baking soda bath, then bring them to be baked on site (would be about 2 hours later).
Carole
Sam
Hi Carole! I honestly don’t know how it would work. There’s a chance they could become soggy or the dough deteriorates a bit. 🙁
Arielle
Can I use All Purpose Flour for this ?
Sam
Hi Arielle! While it is possible, 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. 🙂
Laura
EXCELLENT recipe, Sam! I’ve been making Brian Lagerstrom’s soft pretzel recipe (w/a water reduction) with my sourdough starter, and while it is also delicious, it is much more involved/takes longer and requires malt diastatic powder (slightly different flavor pretzel). My family LOVES hot pretzels, so I’ve been on a quest to make a few different versions to find our favorite. I knew Sam’s recipe would be a winner, so we tried it and it’s a HUGE HIT, especially with the ease and quickness of the recipe. Then today I tried it with my sourdough starter and in case anyone is interested, the changes I made are (brown sugar the same): 150 g active starter (50:50 water and all purpose flour), 300 g Bread Flour + 1 T., added an extra tablespoon of butter, used only 160 g water and omitted the yeast entirely. I mixed it by hand, let rest 30 minutes, stretch and fold once, then let rise (mid 70 degrees F) for about 4-4 1/2 hours until doubled in size and proceeded as usual. I do opt for the lye water bath instead of baking soda and egg wash, but as a soap maker I have it on hand :). The ratio is 1,000 g water to 30 g Sodium Hydroxide. I make 1/3 of this batch of lye water; it’s plenty for me (334 g water to 10 g NaOH). The pretzels and pretzel bites took a little bit longer with this sourdough version, about 12-14 min. and were absolutely delicious! Thank you for all you share with us, Sam!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Laura! I do have a sourdough soft pretzel recipe coming, I hope next week that you can check out too. 🙂
Laura
I look forward to it; thank you! I also wanted to note that next time I will try this with just 100 g of sourdough starter, 325 g Bread Flour + 1 T., and 185 g water. I’m sure it didn’t need that much starter (I’ve read 100 g starter ~5-7 g regular yeast), I was just trying to mimic the “quick” rise of your recipe.
eve
I’m also high altitude so I followed Patricia’s suggestions and they turned out flawless! My first try at bread and could not be more pleased!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they turned out for you, Eve! 🩷
Patricia Bennett
Ok. So I tried them again. This time I decreased the flour by 1/4 cup, increased the liquid by 2 Tblsp and only let it rise for 30 min exactly for my altitude. The dough was smooth and soft and they came out perfect! Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad they turned out this time! 🙂
Eric
Food grade LYE is far better than baking soda. You cannot even compare the two. The lye does method does require special precautions such as protective gloves as well as safety glasses. All you need to do is dip the pretzels in a lye water solution for 30 seconds and it will make a real German pretzel. The pretzels will also brown more even and you will have a nice soft chewy pretzel. I used to do the baking soda method, but I am so glad I tried the lye method. Make sure you use FOOD GRADE LYE. Not the lye you pour down your sink to remove clogs. You can find it on Amazon, and it is relatively cheap. A one-pound bottle is under 20 dollars. Do not get the lye for soap making as it may contain impurities. Use one ounce LYE to 1 quart water. Always pour the lye into the water and not the water into the lye as it will create a thermotic reaction (meaning once the lye is added to the water it will start to produce heat. I always purchased the Essential Depot brand. Again, make sure you use gloves like the type you use when you wash dishes. Always where safety glasses as for those who took chemistry will recall lye is an alkaline with a ph. of 13 to 14. Which is more than baking soda or sodium bicarbonate. Another plus is that you do not need to boil anything. Once you shape your pretzels let them sit out about an hour so they dry out a little then just dip them in the lye solution. The recipe is great as I tool like using the brown sugar versus regular sugar. Brown sugar is the correct sugar to use as they did in Germany.
Rebecca Aguilar
hi making some now, can you freeze them for a later time?
Sam
Hi Rebecca! That will work just fine. 🙂
Patricia S Bennett
Hi Sam
Love your recipes! I tried the pretzels exactly by the recipe, but the dough was not sticky, not smooth and not sticking together. it was very dry. Had this problem with Challah bread, too. Perhaps it’s altitude. I’m at 6900 ft. What do you think?
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this is happening, Patricia! You may need slightly less flour due to your altitude. 😔
Billie Albertson
this is my first time making soft pretzels or anything like this (using yeast). they turned out amazing and they smelled so good. ty you gave a wonderful recipe and perfect directions.
Billie
i use your recipe quite often. ty. enjoy the video as well. never thought I could learn how to cook this stuff. I use a lot of your recipes now. ty so much for taking the time to post them.
Sam
That is so great to hear, Billie! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything and it’s all been such a great success. 🙂
Pam Elber
My pretzels came out amazing! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Would you happen to have a recipe for Applebee’s Honey Mustard dip?
I love that but I just can’t seem to get it right.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed the pretzels, Pam! Unfortunately we don’t have a recipe for that dip though ☹️
Alisa
I just made these with the kids and they were great (note the past tense). The dough didn’t seem to double but we let it rise for about 45-50 minutes and then rolled it out.
We liked the savory ones better. Recipe not difficult, just had lots of steps. Will definitely make again. Thank you for a fun and tasty afternoon activity!