Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe (2024)

Best ever homemade soft pretzel recipe! These are so chewy and good- perfect with a sprinkling of salt and a dunk in grainy mustard.

*I originally posted this soft pretzel recipe on October 26, 2017. I thought it was about time for a refresh. So I’ve simplified the recipe, added a new video, and provided lots more tips for success. Hopefully you’ll enjoy these soft pretzels as much as we do.*

It’s October, and when I think of October I think of one thing.

Well, that’s not exactly true. I think of a few things: apple cider donuts, Halloween, and all sorts of pumpkin spice recipes. But there’s one other thing!

Homemade soft pretzels. Mmmmm.

I try to bake up at least one batch every fall. Preferably on a chilly, gray day while all my boys are watching football on tv. They’re the perfect finger food for game day!

WHAT DO SOFT PRETZELS TASTE LIKE?

Soft pretzels are a type of yeast bread that have been around for centuries. There’s some debate as to where they were invented, but it was most definitely somewhere in Europe, likely by clergy people of some kind.

The shape is meant to resemble hands clasped in prayer.

I live in Pennsylvania, the undisputed soft pretzel capital of the world. We love our pretzels here! I’ve learned TONS about soft pretzels throughout my lifetime, and you might even say I’m a bit of a soft pretzel expert.

Soft pretzels taste yeasty and savory, with a soft, pillowy interior and a chewy, toasty outside crust.

This recipe also contains beer (it’s optional, see below) and that flavor comes through for sure. So you may notice a slightly floral or pleasingly bitter taste as well.

They’re usually sprinkled with salt so they make a really satisfying salty snack.

MAKE THE DOUGH

To make the dough, start by dissolving your dry active yeast in sweetened water. I add warm water to a little bit of brown sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top, and give it 5 minutes or so to dissolve and get foamy.

The brown sugar is meant to feed the yeast. Because it’s such a small amount, the final result does not taste sweet.

Make sure your water is warm but not hot. If it’s too hot it could kill the yeast. Aim for the temperature of a baby’s bath, or around 105 degrees F.

The foam tells you that the yeast is alive and well! When you see that you know that it’s working.

If you don’t see that, move the bowl to a warmer spot and give it another 5 minutes. Also be sure to check that your yeast packet wasn’t past its expiration date!

Once you know your yeast is thriving, stir in the flour, salt, and beer.

Use a beer that has a flavor you enjoy, because it will definitely come through. I include some specific suggestions in the video below.

Or if you don’t want to use beer, you can substitute with water.

After a couple of minutes of mixing, you should have a very stiff dough that gathers itself into a ball and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

Continue to knead the dough (by hand or by machine, it’s up to you!) until the dough feels silky and elastic. This usually takes about 10 minutes, but you can know for sure you’ve kneaded enough by performing the “windowpane test.”

There’s info on this in the video I’ve embedded. You’ll find it at the bottom of the recipe card.

Once your dough passes the windowpane test, mist the bowl with non-stick spray and pop it back in. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap, put it in a cozy place, and give it its first rise.

SHAPE THE PRETZELS

After the dough has had a nice long nap, it should have doubled in volume. It will be big and poofy and full of air!

Punch the air out and divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Cover 7 of the dough balls lightly with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.

The 8th will be used to make your first pretzel.

Roll it into a long, skinny rope.

Then, grab both ends of the rope, pull it into a “U” shape, and draw the ends down towards the center, twisting them once around each other.

The pretzels might look a little small and skinny at this stage, but don’t worry, they’re going to grow a ton!

In fact, it’s best if they’re pretty skinny because if they’re fat now, they’ll get even fatter as they rise. And you don’t want those pretty loops to close up! They can get brown and toasty and flavorful, as long as they get some air around them while they’re baking.

Pick up the pretzel and place it on its own, individual sheet of parchment paper. Then slide it onto a baking tray.

This is my pro tip and boy did I learn it the hard way. Picking up the pretzels to boil them in the next step can really do a number on them. That kind of rough handling can deflate them and they end up flat and sad.

But if you can slide them gently off the tray by the paper it’s so much gentler and they hold their full, pudgy shape so much better!

Continue shaping pretzels, placing them on sheets of parchment, then baking trays, with the remaining dough balls.

When all of your pretzels have been shaped, cover them once again with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow them their second rest.

BOIL THEM

While the uncooked pretzels are resting and rising, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Then add the baking soda.

Be careful! The baking soda will cause the hot water to really fizz up a lot.

Once the pretzels have risen to twice their original volume, grab one gently by the parchment paper, taking care not to knock all that beautiful air out, and slip it into the bath.

When the paper has released from the pretzel, just pull it away and discard it.

You can see what this looks like in the video below.

Allow it to boil for about a minute on each side.

Then remove it from the water, drain it on a clean towel, and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Continue this process until you have all 8 pretzels boiled.

BAKE THEM

Brush the pretzels with egg wash, taking care to reach into every nook and cranny. The egg wash really gives the pretzels the most beautiful shiny brown color.

And while the egg is still wet, sprinkle them with salt.

Pretzel salt is probably best. You can get it here: Pretzel Salt.

But honestly, I just use coarse kosher salt. It’s my all-purpose salt for baking and cooking and it works well enough for me.

Slip the trays into the oven and bake the pretzels until they are nicely browned.

And serve them warm if you can! They’re SO GOOD fresh from the oven.

HOW TO SERVE THEM

My favorite way to eat pretzels is with mustard. Yellow mustard is good, but spicy brown mustard is even better, in my opinion.

Imagine a big soft pretzel board with several dips to choose from! Now that’s a party!

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

Are soft pretzels bad for you? It’s tough to say. I did include a full nutritional workup in the recipe card below, so you can judge for yourself.

OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS

If you’d like to spread out all the steps over a couple of days, you can allow the pretzels their second rest in the fridge overnight.

So, follow the recipe instructions right up to the point where the pretzels have been shaped and placed on parchment.

Cover them with greased plastic wrap, but instead of allowing them to rise in a warm place, pop them into the fridge for up to 2 days, or the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

When you’re ready to finish them up in the oven, just thaw them at room temperature first. Once they’ve bulked up to 2x their original size, they’re ready for the egg wash, salt, and for the oven.

CAN THESE BE MADE AHEAD?

These are a great make-ahead snack and you can even break up the prep by following the instructions above for overnight soft pretzels. Or you can do it all at once, but be sure to follow these storage instructions.

Soft pretzels will be ok at room temperature for a couple of days. Slip them into a plastic bag, but don’t seal it up airtight. If there isn’t any airflow, they can become soggy and wrinkly.

If you want to keep them for more than a day or two, they’ll last around a week in the fridge. But again, plastic bag with a little air circulating.

You can also wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them. They should keep for months in the freezer. Allow them to thaw (uncovered) at room temperature, in the microwave, or in a warm oven.

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