Homemade soft pretzels
Chewy, buttery homemade soft pretzels with a deep brown crust and coarse salt. A quick baking soda bath gives them their classic pretzel flavor.
26% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Resting
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 8
- Calories
- 310
- Protein
- 8 g
- Per serving
- $0.29
Why this recipe works
Soft pretzels are a ballpark and mall favorite, and they're easier to make at home than they look. The dough needs one hour-long rise, and the shaping is just a rope, a U, a twist and a fold.
- A short dip in boiling baking soda water makes the surface alkaline, which gives the deep mahogany crust and the distinct pretzel flavor.
- A firm, lower-hydration dough is easy to roll into long ropes and holds the twisted shape in the bath.
- A very hot 450°F oven sets the crust fast, so the inside stays soft and chewy.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl)
- Large wide pot
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Slotted spatula
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Make the dough
Stir the warm water, brown sugar and yeast together and leave 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for 5 minutes (or 8 minutes by hand) until smooth and slightly tacky.
Let it rise
Shape the dough into a ball in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
Shape the pretzels
Heat the oven to 450°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a 24-inch rope, make a U shape, cross the ends over each other twice, then fold them down and press onto the bottom of the U.
Boil in the bath
Bring the 10 cups water to a boil in a wide pot and slowly add the baking soda (it will foam). Lower 1 or 2 pretzels at a time into the water for 30 seconds, flipping once, then lift out with a slotted spatula and let them drain on the baking sheets.
Bake
Brush with the egg yolk wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until deep golden brown, swapping the pans halfway through.
Brush with butter
Brush the hot pretzels with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Cook's notes
- If the ropes keep shrinking back as you roll them, let the dough rest for 5 minutes so the gluten relaxes, then roll again.
- Add the baking soda to the water slowly, and use a pot no more than half full, because it foams up hard.
- Pretzels are best the day they're baked. Reheat leftovers at 350°F for 5 minutes; salted pretzels go damp in a sealed container, so store them loosely covered.
Nutrition per serving
310 calories
$0.29 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 10% of calories | 8 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 69% of calories | 53 g |
| Fat | 21% of calories | 7 g |
| Fiber | 2 g | |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why do you boil pretzels in baking soda?
The alkaline bath changes the surface of the dough so it browns deeply in the oven and gets the chewy skin and tangy flavor that make a pretzel taste like a pretzel.
Can I use regular salt on pretzels?
Fine table salt dissolves into the dough and tastes harsh. Use coarse pretzel salt, flaky sea salt or coarse kosher salt, which stay visible and crunchy.
What flour is best for soft pretzels?
All-purpose flour gives a soft, tender pretzel. Bread flour works too and makes them a bit chewier; you may need 1 to 2 extra tablespoons of water.
