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Close up of soft homemade pretzels on a white plate over a wood board
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5 from 5 votes

Buttery Homemade Soft Pretzels

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.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Rise Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 pretzels
Calories: 272kcal

Ingredients

Soft Pretzels

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.

Video

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.
** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary. It does not include the baking soda for boiling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pretzels | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3mg