I’m not a huge fan of those skinny crunchy pretzels — never have been. But big fat warm soft pretzels? Yes please.
There’s never a street vendor around when you need one so now I just make them at home. During football season there’s not a host in the world who wouldn’t love to see these on their tailgate table.
Dip them in mustard, cheese sauce, salsa, marinara, or cinnamon sugar — or just eat them plain like me. And if you really want to kick it up a notch substitute the water in the dough with your favorite amber beer. You’re welcome.
April 26th is National Pretzel Day! Check out where to get a free pretzel today before you start baking!
Where Did Pretzels Get Their Shape?
One theory has it that the pretzel was invented in 610 AD by an Italian monk who folded strips of bread dough to resemble the crossed arms of children praying — and thus the pretzel was born.
The more common belief is that German and Swiss immigrants brought the soft pretzel to North America in the 19th century. You can’t find an Oktoberfest without them.
One theory even traces them back to Celtic harvest knots — but that’s probably KNOT true. It’s ok, you can groan.
Tips Before You Start
Do You Have to Boil Soft Pretzels?
Yes — and don’t skip the baking soda. This is the trick to that glossy crust and chewy texture everyone loves. The alkaline solution changes the pH of the dough so it darkens properly in the oven.
Skip this step and you end up with a twisted bagel. Not the same thing.
How Hard Are Homemade Soft Pretzels to Make?
Not hard at all — just a little time consuming because of the rise time. They freeze beautifully so I always recommend making a double batch. Future you will be very grateful.
How to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels
Make the Dough
Start with warm water between 110–115°F. Add the yeast and stir until completely dissolved — no need to wait for it to froth with this recipe. In your stand mixer with the dough hook combine the sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour on low.
Add the water and yeast mixture and mix on low, adding more flour as needed until a soft ball forms. Scrape the sides often.
Knead and Rise
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface — it will be sticky. Knead for about 6 minutes, flouring your surface as needed, until you have a smooth elastic dough. Place in a large bowl lightly coated in olive oil, turning to coat all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Dryer hack: Run your dryer for 5 minutes to heat it up, then place your covered bowl inside. Works perfectly as a warm proofing spot.
Shape the Pretzels
Preheat your oven and get your baking soda water boiling. Cut a 24″ piece of string to measure against for consistency — it makes a big difference. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces with a bench scraper.
Roll each piece into a 24″ rope. I’ve never mastered rolling on a surface so I squeeze the dough into a rough rope shape then rub it gently between my palms until a smooth consistent rope forms. Shape into a circle and fold the ends over each other to form the classic pretzel shape. Pinch the ends slightly to hold.
Boil and Bake
Gently slide a spatula under each pretzel and lower into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for about 30 seconds — two at a time max or they’ll stick together. Place on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid.
Transfer to a greased baking sheet leaving at least 2″ between each pretzel. Brush with egg wash and generously sprinkle with coarse salt — don’t use regular salt, trust me on this one. It may seem like a lot of salt but some will fall off and it’s easy to scrape off if needed. You can’t add it back after baking.
Bake 10–15 minutes until deep golden brown. Tap the bottom — it should sound slightly hollow. Move to a wire rack and serve warm. They are absolutely best right out of the oven.
Celebrating National Pretzel Day? Check out 4 places giving away free pretzels today before you start baking!
Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Dutch oven or deep stock pot
Ingredients
- 12 oz water for dough
- ¼ oz active dry yeast 1 envelope
- 1 Tbs butter melted
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 4 to 4 ½ cups AP flour divided (3 cups + additional)
- 10 cups water for boiling
- ⅔ cup baking soda
Topping:
- 1 egg yolk beaten
- 1 Tbs water
- Coarse salt
Instructions
- In a small jug or mason jar, microwave water to 110-115℉
- Stir in yeast until dissolved
- In a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (will be sticky)
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 7 minutes)
- Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour)
- Preheat oven to 425℉ and in a Dutch Oven, bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil.
- Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into 8 balls; squeeze each ball to for a rough rope, then roll between your hands until you have a 24” rope
- Curve ends of rope to form a circle; twist ends once and lay over opposite side of circle, pinching ends to seal
- Gently slide pretzels off a spatula, 2 at a time, into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Repeat with remaining pretzels
- Place pretzels 2” apart on greased baking sheets
- In a small bowl, which egg yolk and water and brush over pretzels; Sprinkle with coarse salt
- Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
- Remove to a wire rack to cool
- Serve warm
