Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

Closeup on soft pretzels on a wire rack.

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Homemade Soft Pretzels are warm, chewy, and buttery with that classic golden crust you get from a pretzel shop. This simple recipe walks you through each step so you can whip up a batch for snacks, parties, or game day.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade pretzels, homemade soft pretzels recipe

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 2

Servings pretzels

Calories 154kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the pretzel dough:

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 ½ cups warm water - heated to between 105-110 degrees F
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter - melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ¾ cup bread flour - more or less to desired to consistency

Other:

8 cups water
8 Tablespoons baking soda
kosher salt - add before baking
butter - to brush on after baking

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, brown sugar, and warm water (warmed to 105-110 degrees F). Take a spatula and stir it around a couple of times. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. The mixture get bubbly when it’s ready.
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 ½ cups warm water
Add butter. Add melted butter to the mixing bowl and stir again with a spatula.
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Add salt and flour to desired consistency. Add three cups of bread flour and kosher salt to the mixer. Attach dough hook and let the mixer run, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
When the dough has enough flour, let the mixer run for several minutes more.
3 ¾ cup bread flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Let dough rise. Grease a large bowl with oil. Remove dough from mixer and form it into a ball. Then place the dough ball in the bowl and cover it with a clean dish towel. Place bowl in a warm place in your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size, about 30-35 minutes.
NOTE: If you want to make the dough ahead and then shape the pretzels and finish process later, just place dough in refrigerator, covered, and pull out and let rise for about 30 minutes before shaping, boiling, and baking.
Prep. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prep parchment paper. Use a scissors to cut two sheets of parchment paper into six squares each. Then spray lightly with baking spray.
Divide dough. Spread a little bit of oil on a clean working surface or baking mat. Divide dough into 12 equal sections. While this isn’t required, I use a digital scale and measure out 12 dough rounds of about 70 grams each.
Shape pretzels. Roll out each dough section into a long rope, about 20 inches long. Then pick up the ends, cross them over each other to make a loose loop, then twist once so the ends trade places. Bring those twisted ends down toward the bottom of the loop and press them lightly into the dough so they stick.
Place each formed pretzel on a square of parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough rounds.
NOTE: Shaping pretzels definitely takes a little practice, but don’t stress about making them look perfect. Even the wonky ones bake up golden, chewy, and completely delicious.
Prep water bath. Combine the water and the baking soda together in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
8 cups water, 8 Tablespoons baking soda
Boil pretzels. Use the parchment paper to gently slice two pretzel shapes into the boiling water at a time. Cook for 25-30 seconds (no more), and then immediately start removing them with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water as you go. Place on the prepared baking sheets and top with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Continue with remaining dough.
kosher salt
Bake. Bake bites in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 13-15 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Remove and immediately brush with softened butter.
butter
Serve. Enjoy the pretzel bites warm out of the oven with our Pretzel Cheese Dip or Spicy Beer Cheese Dip. These are best the day you make them!

Notes

How to store leftover soft pretzels:

Soft pretzels are best the day you make them, but you can keep them fresh with a couple easy tricks.

If you’re making pretzels ahead of time, skip the coarse salt before baking – it pulls moisture to the surface and makes stored pretzels go soft and wrinkly. Bake them plain, let them cool completely, then stash in an airtight container at room temp. When it’s time to serve, brush each pretzel with a little water, sprinkle on the salt, and warm them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.

Same deal for freezing: leave off the salt, cool the baked pretzels, and freeze up to three months. To reheat, brush the frozen pretzels with water, add salt, and bake at 350°F until warmed through.

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