Who can resist a soft pretzel? When our boys were growing up, and playing baseball, and basketball we had our share of soft pretzels. In fact as parents, we would volunteer for the concession stand at our son’s basketball games, and load up the soft pretzel warmer. Those soft pretzels were okay, but nothing like a made from scratch hot soft pretzel.

We think once you make a batch of these soft pretzels you may never go back to the frozen, and heat ones. Oh, and don’t forget to make the BEER MUSTARD CHEESE DIP to go with these babies!

Published April 26, 2022

Modified January 17, 2025

5 soft pretzels and cheese sauce and one pretzel with mustard and a bite taken out of it being held by a hand

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

Freshness: Enjoy warm, soft pretzels straight from your oven, surpassing store-bought versions.
Customization: Adjust salt levels or add toppings like sesame seeds to suit your taste.
Fun Activity: Shaping pretzels can be an enjoyable activity for families and friends.

Ingredients and Their Importance:

Warm Water: Activates the yeast, initiating the fermentation process essential for dough rising.
Yeast: Leavens the dough, creating the soft and airy texture characteristic of pretzels.
Flour: Forms the structure of the pretzel, providing the necessary gluten for elasticity.
Sugar: Feeds the yeast, enhancing fermentation and adding a subtle sweetness.
Salt: Balances flavors and strengthens the dough’s gluten network.
Baking Soda: Used in the boiling solution to give pretzels their distinctive chewy crust and deep brown color.
Dark Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the boiling solution, contributing to the pretzel’s flavor.
Egg: Creates a glossy finish when brushed on the pretzels before baking.
Coarse Sea Salt or Pretzel Salt: Sprinkled on top for the classic salty taste.

un-cooked soft pretzels on parchment on a sheet pan

How to Make Soft Pretzels:

Activate Yeast: Mix warm water and yeast in a bowl, stirring to dissolve. Let it stand for a few minutes.
Prepare Dough: In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Combine with the yeast mixture, stirring until no dry flour remains. Cover with a moist towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a warm, moist towel, and let it rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Shape Pretzels: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 20-inch rope and shape into a pretzel. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let them rise until puffy (about 30 minutes).
Prepare Water Bath: Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add baking soda and dark brown sugar, whisking to dissolve. Reduce to a simmer.
Boil Pretzels: Place 2-3 pretzels at a time into the simmering water, top side down. Simmer for 30 seconds, flip, and simmer for another 30 seconds. Remove and return to the baking sheet.
Bake Pretzels: Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until deep brown and glossy, 12-15 minutes.

baked soft pretzels on a sheet pan with parchment

Storage and Reheating:

Storage: Allow pretzels to cool completely. Store unsalted pretzels at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating:
- Oven Method: Preheat oven to 250°F. Place pretzels on a sheet pan and sprinkle a little water around them, cover with foil. Heat for about 15 minutes.
- Microwave Method: Place a pretzel on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on medium for 30 seconds. Check and heat 20 more seconds. Be cautious when unwrapping, as steam can cause burns.

By following this guide, you’ll be able to create delicious homemade soft pretzels that are sure to impress!

Soft Pretzels

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Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pretzels

Servings:

Calories: 192kcal

Author: theperksofbeingus

Equipment

bowl
pot
sheet pan
Pastry Brush

Ingredients

Ingredients for soft pretzel dough:

1 ½ cups warm water
3 teaspoon yeast
4 ½ cups flour
1 1/2 tbls sugar
2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for boiling soft pretzels:

8 cups water
½ cup baking soda
2 tbls dark brown sugar

Ingredients for topping soft pretzels:

1 large egg whisked with 2 tbls water
Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt

Instructions

Combine the warm water and yeast in a mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand a few minutes.
1 ½ cups warm water, 3 teaspoon yeast
Whisk flour, sugar and salt in a separate bowl. Pour flour mixture over water and stir with a stiff spatula until no dry parts remain. Cover with a moist towel for 10 minutes. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it holds a ball shape. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm moist towel until doubled in size. About 1 hour.
4 ½ cups flour, 1 1/2 tbls sugar, 2 teaspoon salt
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Work with one piece of dough a time. Using the palms of your hands, roll the dough into a long, skinny rope against the counter. Roll the dough until the rope is about 20 inches long.
Set the pretzel rope on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lift the ends toward the top and cross them, forming the pretzel shape. Shape the rest of the pretzels. When all the pretzels have been shaped, cover them loosely and set them aside to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Prepare the water bath: When the pretzels are starting to look puffy, measure 8 cups of water into a large, wide pot and bring the water to a boil. Add the baking soda and the brown sugar and whisk to dissolve. Then reduce the heat and maintain a simmer.
8 cups water, ½ cup baking soda, 2 tbls dark brown sugar
Place 2 to 3 pretzels into the water bath top side down. Simmer for 30 seconds, then flip the pretzels over and simmer for another 30 seconds. Scoop the pretzels out of the water and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Once all the pretzels have been dipped in the water bath, brush them with the egg and water mixture and sprinkle them with salt.
1 large egg, Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt
Bake the pretzels: Bake the pretzels until they are deep brown and glossy, 12 to 15 minutes.