Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

By Laura

Posted Jan 26, 2022

5 from 10 votes

10 Comments

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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.

Make the soft pretzel dough

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 make 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 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 side to your favorite main dish recipes. 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.

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Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

Laura

The best homemade soft pretzel recipe! Learn how to make soft pretzels that are irresistibly buttery, salty and slightly sweet. Chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are better than mall pretzels and they’re easy to make with only 8 ingredients.

5 from 10 votes

Course Appetizer, bread, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 pretzels

Calories 252

Prep Time30 minutes minutes

Cook Time12 minutes minutes

Rising1 hour hour

Total Time1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Equipment

• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• baking sheet
• skimmer spoon
• 5 Quart Sauce Pan

Ingredients  

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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 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 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

• 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.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Video

Notes

To make 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 to let it come to room temperature and rise. Then continue on with the recipe including the baking soda bath, baking, etc.

Ingredient 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1soft pretzel | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 2424mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

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