The best Homemade Pretzel Bread (or Pretzel Rolls) recipe. Once you make this you will never be able to eat store-bought pretzel bread again! It’s dense, soft, chewy, buttery, salty and irresistibly delicious.

This Homemade Pretzel Bread is the best bread you will ever eat in your life. I am not exaggerating either.

It is one of my most requested recipes and everyone who tries it asks for the recipe. It’s dense, soft, chewy, buttery, salty and unbelievably delicious. Serve it with a side of this homemade cheese sauce and you’ll be in heaven!

I know making homemade bread can seem intimidating, but don’t worry! Follow our step-by-step photos and watch the video to learn how to make pretzel bread perfectly every single time! And if there’s a recipe that’s worth conquering your kitchen fears for, this is definitely it.

I have also included instructions for how to make pretzel rolls. Pretzel rolls are a great smaller serving size option. They also make delicious hamburger buns for homemade burgers.

Homemade Pretzel Bread: Ingredient Substitutions

As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as written, however here are a few possible substitutions!

•  Whole Milk. 2% milk works well. I do this often with great results! Half & half or cream also work well!
• All-purpose flour. Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
• Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar works equally well in this recipe.

That’s it! I really don’t recommend tinkering with this recipe any more!

How to Make Homemade Pretzel Bread 

If making homemade bread sounds intimidating to you…your’e in luck! There are two ways to make the dough.

1. The first is to simply toss all the ingredients in a bread machine and set it to the “dough cycle.” Even the most sheepish bread-makers can do that, right?
2. The other method involves mixing and kneading the dough using a standing mixer or your hands.

I like to do the latter because I can be sure every step of the process is going exactly the way it should be. However, I have used my bread machine with the same delicious results.

Make the Pretzel Bread Dough

To make the dough by hand, begin by proofing the yeast.

Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Next, add the dry ingredients (flour and salt) and knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

Then, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel to rise until doubled.

Prepare a Baking Soda Bath

When the dough has risen, prepare a baking soda water batch. To do this, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.

Boil the Pretzel Bread Loaves

Once the baking soda bath is ready. degas the dough and form it into the size and shape  you want. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, 4 small loaves, or 8-10 rolls/buns.

Boil the pretzel bread one portion a time in the soda bath for 60 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the bath and place it on the prepared baking sheet.

(Note: I use a skimmer spoon like this to take the dough out of the boiling baking soda bath and remove excess water).

Bake

Once the dough is removed from the boiling baking soda bath and formed into loaves or buns, immediately place it on a greased baking sheet, cut an X in the top and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Next, bake until the loaves are a deep golden brown and they sound hollow inside when hit with a wooden spoon (or until the internal temperature in the center of the loaves reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit).

Then, remove the pretzel bread from the oven and brush the outside of the loaves with melted butter. Then, transfer the loaves to a cooling rack to cool just enough to eat.

Serve

This pretzel bread is best served warm and eaten the day it’s made! However, it does reheat well and makes a delicious sandwich bread for recipes like turkey cranberry sandwich, BLTs, hamburgers, chicken salad, etc.

Or serve it as a side to your favorite main dish recipes, soups, etc. We love dipping it in this homemade cheese sauce or slathering it with honey butter.

How to Make Pretzel Rolls

This recipe makes the best pretzel rolls. To make pretzel rolls, follow the recipe exactly, except make a few slight changes:

1. Divide dough into eight equal pieces.
2. Boil each dough ball for 30 seconds on each side, remove from the water, transfer to a baking sheet, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through.

That’s it! then brush each of the pretzel rolls with melted butter and enjoy as rolls or hamburger buns with the best burger recipe (YUM)!.

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 bake the pretzel bread, 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.

Store

You can store homemade pretzel bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating it before eating it to restore it’s fresh-from-the-oven texture.

Freeze

You can also freeze baked loaves of pretzel bread. Let them cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and foil 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.

Pretzel Bread Recipe FAQs

If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!

Ritch absolutely adores this bread, and since it’s one of his favorite recipes of all time I thought I’d let him share his thoughts about it with you:

“My wife’s pretzel bread is one of the most amazing things that I have ever eaten. The only thing better than a loaf of this homemade pretzel bread is MORE loaves of pretzel bread! Sometimes when we have friends over to dinner— and Laura asks for meal ideas—I am torn as to whether or not to suggest this bread, simply because I can’t handle watching other people eat MY FAVORITE BREAD. (I smile, and politely pass the bowl, but secretly…I’m watching every movement…praying that they leave more for ME!) Fresh out of the oven, this bread beats any other meal that comes out of my home (IMHO), and a loaf of this stuff literally makes the “top 3 list” of things I would want with me on a deserted island. So basically, I HIGHLY recommend this recipe. -Husband”

(<-he signed it that way, not me! LOL!)There you have it folks, this Pretzel Bread is definitely husband approved! And I can attest to the fact that he will eat an entire loaf by himself if he doesn’t have to share.

Try these recipes

Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

Easy Dutch Oven No Knead Bread

Cheese Biscuits

Homemade French Bread Recipe

Best Dinner Rolls Recipe

Homemade Breadsticks Recipe