Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe
Posted Jan 26, 2022, Updated Feb 20, 2024
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The best homemade soft pretzel recipe! Learn how to make soft pretzels that are irresistibly buttery, salty and slightly sweet. They are better than mall pretzels and easy to make with only 8 ingredients.
In my opinion, homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce is the ultimate comfort food combination. I craved it during each of my six pregnancies, so I can promise you that this is the best soft pretzel recipe you’ll ever make or eat because I had a lot of time to get it just right.
In this post, you will learn how to make soft pretzels that are irresistibly buttery, salty and slightly sweet. They are better than mall pretzels and relatively easy to make with only 8 ingredients.
Soft Pretzel Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar can be used instead of dark with great results.
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream can all be used in place of whole milk, if necessary.
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour is a great substitution, and the only one I recommend in this soft pretzel recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted works well, and you don’t really need to alter the amount of salt if you choose to use it.
How to Make Soft Pretzels
This recipe is fairly simple to make, there are a few unique steps (like twisting the pretzels and a boiling the pretzels in a baking soda/water bath). So make sure to read through my instructions on how to make pretzels thoroughly, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by proofing the yeast. To do this, combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl and mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Let mixture rest for 5-10 minutes (until foamy).
One the yeast is proofed, add the melted butter and milk to the yeast and stir to combine.
Next, add the flour and sea salt and stir until a ball is formed (either by hand or with the dough hook). The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball.
Place the dough a large, lightly greased bowl and cover it with a damp towel to rise for 30 -60 minutes until doubled in size.
To Prepare in Advance
You can make the dough and store it in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready to make the pretzels, remove the dough from the fridge or freezer and let it come to room temperature and rise. Then continue on with the recipe including the baking soda bath, baking, etc.
Form the Pretzels
Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven and grease two large baking sheets.
Then, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (weigh it using a food scale, divide the total by 8).
Next, roll each piece of dough into a 25-30” rope.
To do this, lay the rope into a “U” shape. Then cross the ends over each other once.
Then, twist the ends once at the place where they meet (see below).
Then hold the portion of the pretzel dough that has been twisted and fold it down to the bottom of the “U” shape. Press the ends firmly but gently into the bottom of the pretzel.
Prepare the Baking Soda Water Bath
Once you’ve formed half the pretzels, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.
Boil & Salt
Once the baking soda bath is boiling, boil the soft pretzels one at a time in the soda bath for 30 seconds.
Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the bath and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Immediately sprinkle the soft pretzel with coarse sea salt, then repeat with remaining pretzels.
Bake the Soft Pretzels
I like to bake the pretzels in batches of 4. So I boil/salt 4 soft pretzels and then bake them while I’m boiling/salting the remaining 4.
Bake the soft pretzels at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until dark brown. Then, remove them from the oven and immediately brush each pretzel with melted butter.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm.
Serve
Serve warm as a delicious appetizer! We love dipping homemade soft pretzels it in this homemade cheese sauce or slathering it with honey butter.
Store
You can store homemade soft pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5. I suggest reheating them before eating it to restore it’s fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Freeze
You can also freeze homemade pretzels. Let them cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the oven set to warm covered in foil or in a dutch oven.
Soft Pretzels Recipe FAQs
Boiling in the soda bath gives the soft pretzels their dark brown, chewy exterior and soft interior. It’s what differentiates a pretzel from other breads.
In this homemade soft pretzel recipe the flavor comes from a few sources: the butter in the dough and brushed on the exterior, the brown sugar and the baking soda bath.
Yes. The baking soda bath is what differentiates a pretzel from other breads.
We use coarse sea salt on our soft pretzels.
In this recipe you boil 4 quarts of water and 1/2 cup baking soda.
No. Baking soda is necessary to making the best soft pretzels.
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Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water 105-110 degrees F
- 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk room temperature.
- ¼ cup salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Baking Soda bath
- 4 quarts water
- ½ cup baking soda
Topping
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- Coarse sea salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Soft Pretzel Dough
- Combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. (or in a large bowl, mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Let mixture rest for 5-10 minutes (until foamy).
- One the yeast is proofed, add the melted butter and milk to the yeast and stir to combine.
- Add flour and sea salt and stir until a ball is formed (either by hand or with the dough hook).
- The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball.
- Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel to rise for 30 -60 minutes until doubled in size.
- Once dough is doubled:
Form the Soft Pretzels
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, grease two large baking sheets.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (weigh it, divide the total by 8).
- Roll each piece of dough into a 25-30” rope.
- Lay the rope into a “U” shape. Then cross the ends over each other once, then twist them once at the place where they meet (see the photos in the recipe post).
- Then hold the portion of the pretzel dough that has been twisted and fold it down to the bottom of the “U” shape. Press the ends firmly but gently into the bottom of the pretzel.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
Prepare the Baking Soda Bath
- Once you’ve formed half the pretzels, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.
- Boil pretzels one at a time in the soda bath for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the bath and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Repeat with remaining pretzels.
Bake, Cool & Serve
- Bake pretzels at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until dark brown.
- Remove from oven, immediately brush each pretzel with melted butter.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar can be used instead of dark with great results.
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or heavy cream can all be used in place of whole milk, if necessary.
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour is a great substitution, and the only one I recommend in this soft pretzel recipe.
- Salted butter. Unsalted works well, and you don’t really need to alter the amount of salt if you choose to use it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My first time making pretzels and they turned out really well. I made the dough in my bread machine. These will be made again and again! Thank you for an awesome and easy recipe!
This recipe is perfect. Thank you @joyfoodsunshine my family love these pretzels.
I had never tried pretzel bread until recently on a cruise. So then I had to come home and give it a crack and I used your recipe. I’ve never made bread from scratch but it was sooo easy and omg delicious 😋 my new favourite recipe 😍
I’m so glad you love this as much as we do, Kasey!!
Yummy pretzels. Very good and easy recipe! Thank you
They are very tasty, but even with parchment paper they got stuck on the oven sheet 😔
I suggest trying a silicone baking mat next time. Or grease/butter your parchment paper.
Do the pretzels keep well? I have found that pretzels such as Auntie Ann’s get very hard after a day or so. I have not made your recipe yet. I will wait for your reply before I make them. Thanks.
Yes, I store them in an airtight bag (silicone stasher bag or plastic bag) and they stay fresh.
Another great recipe by “The Pancake Lady,” as my husband calls you (ever since I made your delicious Greek yogurt pancakes with Aldi coconut yogurt cups!) Delicious fresh yeast taste and so good with the salt and butter! Great with cinnamon and butter too! Definitely want to make again!
Our toddlers had a blast making them with us! Thanks so much!
Your comment made my day, Diane! I’ll totally take the nickname “pancake lady” any day! I’m so glad you all love this recipe too, it’s truly one of our all-time favorites!
Never in my life did I think I could make a soft pretzel… Let alone one as delicious as these turned out! To say I’m a skeptic is a understatement and these were truly fabulous – my entire family loved them!