Soft Pretzels, mixed at home
Move over store-bought pretzels; these House-made Soft Pretzels are the best! They're soft and chewy on the inside, with a golden brown outside and a sprinkling of pretzel salt to boot. Serve them alongside your favorite mustard or cheese sauce for the perfect savory snack!
Why this bake works
I'm taking a little detour from the sweets today, to introduce this House-made Soft Pretzels recipe! I found this method in an old cookbook from the '70s that belonged to my late Grammy.
This method requires very few ingredients, comes together quickly, and tastes better than any store-bought pretzel!
The bread flour is the key ingredient in this soft pretzel recipe, giving it a soft, chewy texture. And lending a hand to the texture and signature golden brown color is the baking soda bath. It takes less than 30 seconds (per pretzel) and has your soft pretzels coming out tasting memorable. Brush on a little egg wash to enhance the color, and don't forget the pretzel salt!
Besides enjoying them as a snack, these pretzels make excellent sandwich bread. I made some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches using them and a little spicy mustard, and wow—so good!
You can find this method in my savory treats and bread categories! Enjoy!
What Sovuh readers have to say:
View More ReviewsSuper flavorful pretzels!! My whole family loved them. I flipped most of them halfway through their boiling and the flipped ones turned out best. Also made a cheese sauce to accompany them and that truly made it a special treat, highly recommend!
– Martine
What goes in
Besides being truly straightforward to mix, this house-made soft pretzel recipe requires only the following ingredients.
- Bread Flour. Try the King Arthur brand, but use whatever brand you prefer! It has a higher protein percentage than all-purpose flour, giving these pretzels a fluffier inside and crustier outside.
- Water. This is needed for both the pretzel dough and the baking soda bath.
- Instant Quick Rise Yeast. I recently bought some of the Red Star brand at Walmart and truly like it.
- Salt. To enhance flavor and tighten the dough's gluten structure.
- Granulated Sugar. Its role in this soft pretzel recipe is to add a bit of sweetness to the dough.
- Baking Soda. Used only for the baking soda bath. Do not add this to the pretzel dough.
- Egg Yolk. You'll use this along with a little water for the egg wash, which is applied to the tops of the soft pretzels (after the baking soda bath).
- Pretzel Salt. Just as I am a sweets girl, I do love my salt too, and pretzel salt is the way to go here. Do not use table salt.
For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.
Substitutions
All-Purpose Flour. A reliable pick is bread flour when making these soft pretzels because it has a higher protein count, but the same amount of all-purpose flour can be used in its place. Just note that the texture and taste may differ from using bread flour.
Active Dry Yeast. While I did not test this method using active dry yeast, you can use it as a substitute for the instant quick-rise yeast. Note that the rise time will be doubled.
Granulated Sugar. Because we're using granulated sugar to subtly sweeten the dough, you can leave it out if you prefer.
Everything Bagel Seasoning. In place of salt, you can use everything bagel seasoning. My seasoning came from ALDI, but any grocery store should carry it.
The Best Baking Tools
Below are the tools you'll need to make these easy house-made soft pretzels.
- Stand mixer with dough hook. Or you can use a large mixing bowl and a dough whisk.
- Silicone baking mats. You can also use parchment paper, but you will need to lightly spray the tops with either a flour-based baking spray or a non-stick cooking oil spray to prevent the pretzels from sticking. Silicone mats are also nice because they're less wasteful.
- Baking sheets. You'll need two large baking sheets.
- Bench Scraper. You can use either a bench scraper or a sharp knife to cut the dough into sections.
- Large Pot. This is for the baking soda bath.
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Flat Slotted Spatula. You'll need this to remove the pretzels from the boiling baking soda bath. They'll also help remove any excess liquid that will drip off the pretzels.
- Wire Cooling Rack. A wire cooling rack is needed so you can let the pretzels cool a bit before enjoying!
- Oven Thermometer. Try getting an oven thermometer for all my recipes. They're inexpensive and help to ensure your oven is accurately heating to the correct temperature!
How it comes together
This is only a brief overview of how to make these easy house-made soft pretzels. For the full detailed recipe, scroll down to the method card.
Step 1. Make the Pretzel Dough. You can use your stand mixer or mixing bowl and dough whisk for this method. Mix the lukewarm water, yeast, salt, and sugar together.
Let it sit for a minute or two, then add in the bread flour. After the ingredients are fully combined, you can choose to either knead the dough with the mixer and dough hook on medium speed or knead it by hand for 4-5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.
Step 2. Prepare the Baking Soda Bath. You will need a large pot, 8 cups of water, and 1/4 cup of baking soda (yes, that amount is correct). Stir it together and bring it to a boil.
Step 3. Shape Your Pretzels. Cut the dough into 8 equally sized sections. If they're not 100% equal in size, that's fine. If you're very particular, though, you can cut and weigh each section. Roll each section out to 24 inches (like a long rope), then shape it into a pretzel. See the images above or the video below on how to shape them.
Step 4. Give the Pretzels a Bath. Because of their size, I added only one pretzel at a time, but you can add up to 2. Use a timer and leave them in for no more than 30 seconds. They will puff up a little during this process. You also won't be able to reshape the pretzels at this point.
It's best to use either a fine mesh strainer or a flat slotted spatula to remove the pretzels. I don't recommend using tongs as the pretzels will still be soft. Remove any excess water and put it back onto the baking sheet.
Step 5. Time to Bake. Brush on the egg wash mixture, sprinkle with pretzel salt, then bake!
Questions on this bake
Can Use all-purpose flour in place of bread flour?Yes, but because all-purpose flour has a lower protein percentage, you won't get the same chewy texture.
Why do I have to put my soft pretzels in the baking soda bath?While it may seem like a pain to do this step, it is important! It's a quick alkaline bath that gives the soft pretzels their signature medium golden-brown color and soft, chewy texture. Without it, your soft pretzels will come out pale and not as tasty!
Silicone mats or parchment paper–which one is best for baking soft pretzels?I highly recommend using silicone mats. Parchment paper is fine to use, but you will need to spray the tops with either a flour-based baking spray or a non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray. Another bonus to using silicone mats is less waste.
Can I freeze house-made soft pretzels?Yes, and it's easy too! Simply wrap each cooled soft pretzel in plastic wrap, place it in a tightly sealed container or Ziploc bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Yield 8 servings
- Prep 40 minutes
- Cook 14 minutes
- Calories 250
Ingredients
Homemade Soft Pretzels
- 1 1/2 cups Lukewarm Water
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant Quick Rise Yeast, 1 packet
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 4 cups Bread Flour
Baking Soda Bath
- 8 cups Water
- 4 tbsp Baking Soda
Egg Wash
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 tbsp Water
Topping
- 2 tbsp Pretzel Salt
Method
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the lukewarm water, instant yeast, salt, and granulated sugar. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the bread flour and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the dough forms. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to mix the dough for another 4-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth and easily pulls away from the sides. If the dough still sticky, you can add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of bread flour. Alternatively, you can mix the dough together until its just combined, then transfer to a clean, lightly floured work surface to knead by hand for 5-7 minutes until it's smooth and soft in texture.
- Shape into a ball then cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While your dough rests, adjust your oven to the 2nd level rack (just above center) and preheat your oven to 450ºF. Prep 2 baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats (highly recommended) or parchment paper lightly sprayed with a flour-based baking spray or non-stick oil cooking spray (without it the pretzels will stick).
- Before shaping your pretzels, prepare your baking soda bath by adding the water and baking soda to a large pot, stir together, then bring to a boil. I also stir together the egg wash mixture at this time then set it aside.
- Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the pretzel dough into 8 equally sized pieces. I cut mine as if I were making triangular scones. Alternatively, you can cut and weigh each piece to ensure they are all the same size.
- On a clean work surface, roll one piece of dough out to 24 inches in length. Overlap the two ends forming a teardrop shape. Twist together once, then fold over bringing the ends just past the bottom of the pretzel (see images and/or video for guidance). Press down gently where they meet to form the pretzel. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, then repeat until all pretzels are shaped.
- Place 1 soft pretzel into the boiling baking soda bath and leave in for no more than 30 seconds (use a timer). Remove each pretzel with a fine mesh strainer or flat slotted spatula, carefully letting any excess liquid drip off, then place back onto the baking sheet. The pretzels will puff up slightly during the bath and can't be reshaped. Repeat until all 8 pretzels have been bathed in the baking soda bath.
- Brush on the egg wash mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes at 450ºF or until your soft pretzels have a nice shiny, medium golden brown color.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before serving with your favorite mustard and/or cheese sauce.
- House-made soft pretzels can be kept in a well-sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days (reheating in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to bring them back to life). They also freeze wonderfully too! Let the pretzels cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a sealed container or Ziploc bag. Reheat by baking them in a 350ºF preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Frozen pretzels keep for 1 month.
Baker notes
Prep time noted above includes making the dough, letting it rest, shaping the pretzels, and the baking soda bath.
If using an induction cook top that boils water within 5 minutes, you can wait to prepare this until after you've shaped your soft pretzels.
With all my recipes, I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is heating to the correct temperature. Do not rely just on the oven preheat beep!
If you prefer to make them in advance and freeze them, you can choose to hold off on adding the pretzel salt until right before you reheat them in the oven. When ready to reheat, brush on a little water to the tops of each pretzel then sprinkle with pretzel salt and bake.
