Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels are street vendor style comfort food at it’s best. You can easily achieve these golden brown snacks at home!

Whether you cover them with cinnamon sugar or a pinch of salt, or enjoy them dipped in mustard or cheese sauce, this chewy goodness is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Try some more tasty snacks such as Peanut Butter Energy Bites, Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn, or S’mores Puppy Chow.

Homemade soft Pretzels that Can’t be beat!

My hubby LOVES soft pretzels. They are a must have snack at baseball games, movies, the mall…you name it! He loves to dip them in mustard, I prefer cheese.

Either way you eat them there is something so yummy about a good soft pretzel. Well now we can have them any time at home!

These soft and chewy morsels taste even better than the ones you get out and about that are, let’s face it, way over priced. You will love how simple these tasty treats are to make. They are even easier to devour. Trust us – we know from experience. 😉

How to Make Soft Pretzels

DISSOLVE. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water. Let stand until bubbly and foamy, about 5-10 minutes.

COMBINE. Add the salt, oil, remaining sugar, and two cups flour, and stir to combine.

ADD. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

KNEAD & RISE. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, then shape into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

PREP. Preheat the oven to 450 and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.

WHISK. In a large bowl, whisk together the baking soda and water, until the baking soda is dissolved.

DIVIDE. Gently punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough out into a long rope, then twist into a pretzel shape.

SPRINKLE. Dip each pretzel into the water bath, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

BAKE & SERVE. Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, then brush with the melted butter. Serve hot.

Recipe Tips

How to shape: Roll 1/3 cup of dough into a long 20-22 inch rope. Then, place the dough in a “U” shape on the counter, twist the ends and fold over so the ends rest on the bottom of the “U” shape. 

How long to dip in a water bath: Allow the pretzels to soak in the baking soda bath for 20-30 seconds. You don’t want to use tongs for this because the dough is still soft and delicate. Instead, use a spatula to pick it up out of the water. 

Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat not only does this help keep the pretzels from sticking to the pan, but if you don’t you may end up with little pretzel outlines on the pan even after it’s washed. Trust me on this one.

If you don’t have a silpat mat you can line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray it with butter or cooking spray.

Variations

You can use this base recipe to change it up and add different flavors. Here are a few ideas…

• Pretzel bites: roll the dough into a rope and cut 1 inch pieces.
• Cinnamon sugar: instead of adding salt use cinnamon and sugar. Once the pretzel has baked brush with butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 tbsp cinnamon and ½ cup sugar.
• Garlic pepperoni: Instead of adding salt, brush the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Place pepperonis on the dough and bake.

Storing, Making Ahead + Dip Recipes

Baked pretzels can be STORED in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow them to cool before storing them in a freezer safe container. You can wrap each one separately with plastic wrap, or separate the layers with wax or parchment paper. 

To REHEAT, bake frozen pretzels at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until warm. You can also wrap the pretzel in a damp paper towel and microwave it until warm. 

Make the dough ahead of time: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for about a day. You can also place it in a freezer ziploc and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months.

• TO BAKE: If frozen, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge. Shape the pretzels and let the dough come to room temperature before adding them to the baking soda bath and bake.

Savory Pretzels Dips:

• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Marinara Sauce
• Pizza Dip
• Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Honey Mustard

More snacks:

• Peanut Butter Snack Bites
• Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
• Churros
• No Bake Energy Bites
• Healthy Apple Muffins