Buttery soft homemade pretzels taste fresher and more delicious than any mall pretzel you have ever eaten. These traditional, German-style pretzels are dippable, shareable and perfect to serve as an appetizer paired with a creamy dip. It is an easy recipe to make with ingredients already in your pantry and a fun baking project to complete with friends and family.
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These buttery soft homemade pretzels are incredibly fluffy, like your favorite classic pretzel, and perfect for dipping into delicious sauces such as beer cheese, romesco, white queso or creamy cashew dip.
This is an easy-to-follow recipe for baked German pretzels which the entire family is sure to enjoy. I decided to test this recipe out for my kids who love and miss their Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, since we haven’t been to the mall in quite some time.
They were so complimentary about these super soft and buttery pretzels exclaiming that they indeed taste fluffier and better! You will be happy you made these perfectly snackable, soft homemade pretzels.
Why This Recipe Works
This is an easy, straight-forward recipe although it takes a little extra time to account for the dough rising, shaping, boiling and baking. Since this project requires a few extra steps, I recommend recruiting a friend, family member or child to help you. Among friends, making buttery soft homemade pretzels is a very enjoyable activity.
Have fun getting creative by experimenting with the shapes you can form with pretzel dough. You could choose to make a traditional, twisted pretzel shape, a simple rod, or even roll them into individual little bites.
This recipe yields soft, chewy pretzels made using staple pantry ingredients. By following this recipe for homemade pretzels, you will be reminded of your favorite mall snack, but these will be even better.
How to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
There is no significant prep work for this recipe. You won’t need to preheat your oven until later since the pretzel dough needs time to rise.
Create!
Whisk together warm water, yeast and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof the yeast. It should be nice and foamy.
Chef’s Tip: the water temperature should be right around 110°F. You can check this with an instant read thermometer. If it’s too hot, the yeast may die.
Stir in salt and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Attach the bowl and a dough hook to your mixer. On low speed, gradually add 3 cups of the flour. Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky and bounces back when pressed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth. Oil the inside of the bowl and place the dough back inside. Cover and keep in a warm area to rise for one hour.
Once the hour is up and the dough has doubled in size, preheat your oven to 425°F.
Divide the dough into 8 evenly sized balls.
Roll each ball of dough into an 18-inch long rope.
Bend into a ‘U” shape.
Twist the two ends once, then again.
Fold the ends up to the top of the “U.”
Chef’s Tip: you can also shape the dough into pretzel rods or smaller pretzel bites.
Bring the baking soda and 10 cups of water to a boil in a medium or large sauce pan.
Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds then place on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle on a pinch of coarse sea salt.
Chef’s Tip: you can line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat to prevent sticking.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush on remaining melted butter.
Present!
Serve as is or with your favorite dips.
Tips and Techniques
- Make sure that the water to proof the yeast is right around 110°F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat to prevent sticking.
- Make cinnamon sugar bagels by omitted the coarse sea salt. Brush bagels with butter after baking and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar.
FAQ’s
How Do You Store Soft Pretzels?
Pretzels are best the day they are made, but can be kept 1-2 days at room temperature if tightly wrapped in plastic. They can also be frozen for 1-2 months.
How Do You Reheat Soft Pretzels?
The best way to reheat soft pretzels is in the oven at 350°F. Place pretzels on a baking sheet and heat for 2-5 minutes. They can also be reheated in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
What Goes Good With Soft Pretzels
Pretzels are often paired with savory or sweet dips. Common savory dips include yellow mustard, grainy mustard, cheddar cheese and beer cheese while sweeter options can include caramel, icing or coating them in cinnamon and sugar instead of salt.
More Homemade Snack Recipes
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Buttery Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
Soft Pretzels
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted - for batter)
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (may need more or less)
Baking Soda Bath
- 2/3 cups baking soda
- 10 cups water
- coarse sea salt (or pretzel salt)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted - for after baking)
Instructions
Soft Pretzels
- Whisk together warm water, yeast and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof the yeast. It should be nice and foamy.
- Stir in salt and melted butter.
- Attach the bowl and a dough hook to your mixer. On low speed, gradually add 3 cups of the flour. Add more flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky and bounces back when pressed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth. Oil the inside of the bowl and place the dough back inside. Cover and keep in a warm area to rise for one hour.
- Once the hour is up and the dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Divide the dough into 8 evenly sized balls. Roll each ball of dough into an 18-inch long rope. Bend into a ‘U” shape. Twist the two ends once, then again. Fold the ends up to the top of the “U.”
Baking Soda Bath
- Bring the baking soda and 10 cups of water to a boil in a medium or large sauce pan.
- Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds then place on a baking sheet and sprinkle on a pinch of coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and brush on melted butter.
- Serve as is or with your favorite dips.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Make sure that the water to proof the yeast is right around 110°F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat to prevent sticking.
- Make cinnamon sugar bagels by omitted the coarse sea salt. Brush bagels with butter after baking and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar.
