Homemade Soft Pretzels
These Homemade Soft Pretzels have the perfect chewiness, they're buttery, slightly sweet, and are so easy to make! If you're looking to make the best tasting soft pretzels, here's your chance!
There is nothing quite like a warm, salty soft pretzel. With this delicious, homemade soft pretzel recipe, you can have that amazing snack anytime you’d like!
We will show you all the tips and tricks to making fresh pretzels that taste better than any soft pretzel you have ever had before. This recipe may quickly become your favorite thing to whip up in the kitchen. Pretzels are just as much fun to make as they are to eat!
If you love making yeast dough as much as I do, you have to try my Homemade Bread and Homemade Monkey Bread too.
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Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
- yeast - I used saf-instant instant yeast in this recipe.
- sugar - granulated sugar makes the yeast happy and also adds just a little sweetness.
- butter - I used salted butter and melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- flour - I used King Arthur's all-purpose flour.
- pretzel salt - What's a pretzel without its salt?
- baking soda - This is for the pretzel bath that gives the pretzels their signature golden outside and dense, chewy inside.
Substitutions and Variations
- Dry active yeast will work in this recipe. I would say it's interchangeable in recipes, but have found that's not always the case.
- brown sugar can take the place of granulated sugar.
- Unsalted butter will work great in this recipe if that's what you have on hand.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How To Make Soft Pretzels
Step 1 - The first step in making soft pretzels is to sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit until bubbly. Adding the sugar at this step gives the yeast something to “eat” and makes it come to life. This activates the yeast and will later help your pretzel dough rise.
Step 2 - Once the yeast mix bubbles, pour it into the stand mixer with the cooled melted butter.
Step 3 - Add the flour and let it knead in the stand mixer with a dough hook until a smooth dough has formed.
Step 4 - The pretzel dough is coated in oil, covered, and left to rise. You will be able to see your pretzel dough grow and expand.
Once the dough has almost doubled in size, it is time to deflate it and separate it into smaller portions. The dough balls are rolled into logs, shaped into a pretzel, covered and left to rise again. Letting the pretzel dough rise twice allows the yeast to puff up the dough, giving you a softer, fluffier pretzel later on. (See the How to Shape Homemade Pretzels section for this in more detail.)
Step 5 - While the pretzels are rising, the baking soda and water can be mixed together. The pretzels are dipped in the baking soda mix, sprinkled with some coarse salt.
Step 6 - Pop them in the oven and bake to golden brown perfection! Let the hot pretzels cool slightly but try to enjoy them while they are warm from the oven. This is when they taste the best!
How to Shape Homemade Soft Pretzels
Shaping pretzel dough is part of the fun of making pretzels. It is cool to learn how to make a perfect pretzel!
Step 1 - To get that pretty, pretzel twist, you start by rolling out the pretzel dough into a long log.
Step 2 - Bring the ends of the log up and make a circle. Cross the ends over one another two times, twisting them together.
Step 3 - Then, bring the ends down to the bottom inside of the circle and press them onto the base of the circle to seal.
While making a classic pretzel shape is nice, you can really shape your homemade pretzels however you’d like. Make pretzel letters or shapes- anything goes! That is one of the beauties about making homemade pretzels; you can choose how they look.
How To Store/Freeze
Pretzels taste best when eaten directly out of the oven. If you can’t eat them all after baking, you can definitely store them for later!
Let the pretzels cool completely and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them in a plastic zippered bag. Store the pretzels at room temperature for 3-4 days. Pop the pretzels back in the oven or toaster for about 2 minutes before you are ready to eat. This will soften them up and make them taste super fresh again!
There are two ways you can freeze homemade pretzels. The first method is to bake the pretzels completely. Let them cool and then place them in a large, freezer bag. Place the bag in the freezer and then freeze for up to three months. Thaw the pretzels at room temperature before eating.
You can also freeze the pretzel dough after you have shaped it. Place the tray of raw, shaped pretzels in the freezer. Once firm, transfer the frozen pretzels into a zippered bag, seal and freeze again.
When you are ready to bake the pretzels, take the frozen dough out of the bag and place them on a baking sheet to thaw at room temperature. Once the dough is soft, dip the pretzels in the baking soda solution and bake as directed. Fresh, homemade pretzels have never been easier!
How to Reheat
These really are best when they are warm. Simply pop your pretzels into the oven or toaster oven for 2 minutes to reheat them but don't overbake them otherwise they'll become crunchy. You can also opt to microwave them for about 20 seconds. This will warm it up but not overcook it.
What can I serve with these pretzels?
The possibilities are endless! Here are a few of our favorite things to serve with soft pretzels:
- cheesy dipping sauce
- fresh fruit
- honey mustard
- sweet yogurt dip
- pizza sauce
- sweet icing
- spicy chipotle mayo
Recipe FAQs
You definitely can! In fact, pretzel dough can be quite tough so a stand mixer may be your best option. It is good to mix pretzel dough until it is firm and smooth. Using a stand mixer will help you achieve a nice texture. Use the dough hook attachment to mix your pretzel dough on a stand mixer.
You sure can! You can always knead pretzel dough by hand. However, get your arm muscles ready as this dough can be tough. Knead the dough on a clean work surface until it is smooth an uniform in texture. Kneading the dough by hand may take about 10-15 minutes of constant kneading but it can be a relaxing, meditative activity.
The baking soda bath has a few purposes in a soft pretzel recipe. First, it gelatinizes the outside of the pretzels and “seals” the dough. This prevents the pretzels from puffing up too much during baking and gives the pretzels their signature, chewy texture. The baking soda bath also adds flavor to the pretzels and makes them taste like the salty snack you are craving. The bath helps the pretzels get evenly browned as they bake too. Dipping the soft pretzels in the baking soda bath is a step you do not want to skip!
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Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
Soft Pretzels
- 1 ½ cups warm water 110 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
- 4 ¼ to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading
- 1 tablespoon pretzel salt
Bath
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup baking soda
Instructions
Pretzels
- Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick baking spray.
- In a small bowl, add the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add in the water, yeast, and sugar mixture as well as the cooled melted butter. Turn the mixer on low and mix to combine.
- Add in 3 ¾ cups of the flour with the mixer on low speed . Add the remaining flour by ¼ cup until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the mixer and is no longer sticky. It’s always 4 ¼ cups to 4 ½ cups of flour for me.
- Once the dough comes together, place on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of a glass bowl. Roll the dough around to fully coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, start the baking soda bath.
Bath
- Add the water and baking soda to a large saucepan and place over medium heat until it comes up to a boil. Stir occasionally.
- Start pinching off 2 ounce pieces of dough. This will be about ¼ cup of dough.
- Without flouring the surface, begin rolling the dough into a 24 to 25 inch long rope.
- Grab the two ends of the dough and gently lift up and place in an upside down U.
- Twist the ends of the dough twice and grab the curved piece of the dough and place it over top of the two ends. Press the ends into the dough so it sticks together.
- Place the pretzels on the greased parchment paper.
- Place the pretzels one by one in the boiling baking soda bath. I place them face down and let the boil for 25 seconds.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzel from the baking soda bath and place face up on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the pretzels.
- Sprinkle the pretzels with the coarse salt.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve immediately with mustard, nacho cheese, or coat in butter and cinnamon sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
