Soft and Chewy Pretzel Recipe
Who doesn’t love warm, chewy, soft pretzels? Homemade soft pretzels are easier than you think, and this pretzel recipe is so easy to pull off!
Bake them at home and make your favorite shapes! We made two different shapes as a test. Our vote goes to … the twisted stick pretzel!
Soft, chewy, buttery, and slightly salty is always a winner. I shared them with our neighbors (hot out of the oven) and they were impressed with this recipe. To tell you the truth I impressed myself.
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – You can use bread flour but the inside texture will be chewier vs soft and fluffier using all-purpose flour.
- Warm water, yeast, and brown sugar – To give rise to the pretzels.
- Unsalted butter – To give richness and softness to the dough.
- Baking soda – Baking soda is added to the boiling water to help achieve a deep golden brown color and a chewy texture.
- Coarse sea salt – Or kosher salt.
How to Make Soft Pretzels at Home
Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook attachment until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes until it starts to bubble.
Add the salt and 4½ cups flour to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes.
If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a flat surface, and knead it into a ball with your hands.
Coat a large bowl with oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour.
I preheat the oven for a few minutes then turn it off and place the dough in to rise. You should be able to place your hand comfortably on the inside wall of the oven. I also leave the oven light on during the rising process.
Bread dough has been an enemy of mine for more years than I care to count. This soft pretzel recipe worked perfectly.
Once risen, preheat the oven and start a large pot of water to boil. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
How to Shape Pretzels
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up.
The above method forms a standard soft pretzel shape.
You can also make a twisted soft pretzel shape by just folding the rope in half and twisting the two ends together. We made some larger and they ended up being way too big. So we suggest sticking with the smaller ones in the future.
Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water (adding the baking soda will make a boiling mess if you are not careful). Boil the pretzels in the baking soda bath, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon.
Remove with a large flat slotted spatula. Place 4 pretzels on each prepared baking sheet, brush the tops with the melted butter, and season liberally with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the pretzels start to turn golden brown.
This homemade soft pretzel recipe beats Auntie Anne’s hands down!
The dip pictured is just a simple cheese dip my husband made earlier in the day and it went well with the warm pretzels. By the way, these were DINNER.
Variations
Cheese – You can add shredded cheddar or parmesan to the dough so it’s distributed evenly, then sprinkle additional cheese on top before baking.
Cinnamon Sugar – You could also brush them with melted butter and dip them in a cinnamon-sugar coating for a sweet soft pretzel.
Shapes – This is a great recipe for making pretzel bites too!
Yields approximately 8 pretzels (depends on the size and shape you choose).
FAQ
Boiling is crucial for making a soft and chewy pretzel. Do not skip this step.
You can prepare the pretzel dough, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge up to 1 day in advance. You can also freeze the dough, and wrapped tightly it for up to 3 months.
Baked pretzels keep well for up to 3-4 days in an air-tight container or resealable bag.
More Delicious Recipes
Soft Pretzels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water warm
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 4 ounces 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- Canola oil to grease bowl
- 3 quarts water
- 2/3 cups baking soda
- 4 tablespoons butter melted, or more if desired
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- To make the soft pretzels: combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes until it starts to bubble.1 1/2 cups water, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 package active dry yeast, 4 ounces 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups flour to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt, 5 cups all-purpose flour
- Coat a large bowl with canola oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour.Canola oil
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a long rope. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up.
- Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water (adding the baking soda will make a boiling mess if you are not very careful). Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon.3 quarts water, 2/3 cups baking soda
- Remove with a large flat slotted spatula. Place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the melted butter, and season liberally with sea salt.4 tablespoons butter, Coarse sea salt
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.
- Remove pretzels from oven and let cool on a wire baking rack.