Homemade Soft Pretzels
Nothing beats the smell and taste of a hot, soft pretzel! Our Homemade Soft Pretzels are surprisingly easy to make and fun to create according to your own unique taste. Impress our family and friends with these delicious (and incredibly EASY) morsels.
My family and I were on a road trip a while back and decided we needed a snack. We happened upon a local bakery so we popped in.
One of my favorite foods is a soft pretzel so of course, that was my choice! It was scrumptious, by the way! 😉
When we got home from our trip, I kept thinking about that delicious pretzel and began to wonder if I could make my own.
So, I did what I frequently do and tried out a few recipes, making tweaks here and tweaks there until I came up with the ideal soft pretzel!
I love the way their faces light up every time I make these Homemade Soft Pretzels (at their request, of course)! Their favorite part is the twisting and twirling. Any surprise? 😂
They also love customizing their own pretzel with their favorite toppings.
After baking the pretzels, we get to experience the delicious aroma before eating them fresh out of the oven – which is always everyone’s favorite part!
These pretzels are so easy and delicious. Now anytime I have a craving for the pretzel I had on our trip, I know that I can recreate that same salty, yummy goodness in my own kitchen.
If you want more yummy pretzel-inspired recipes, try my Pretzel Bread Rolls, or Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
Ingredients needed to make homemade soft pretzels
Here’s what you’ll need to gather!
- Yeast
- Warm Water – between 90 – 110 degrees F
- Butter – melted
- Sugar – granulated
- Salt
- All-Purpose Flour – as needed
- Water
- Baking Soda
- Flaked Salt or Kosher Salt
How to make homemade soft pretzels
If you’ve never made big soft pretzels before, you’re going to be amazed at how easy it is to do!
Step 1
Combine yeast, warm water, melted butter, sugar, and salt together. Allow the yeast to bubble for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Fold in the flour and stir until the dough sticks together.
Step 3
Place the dough onto a clean flour sprinkled with flour and knead for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Once you have finished kneading, put the dough back into a bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
Step 5
Place the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let the dough rise for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Step 6
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Step 7
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and dissolve baking soda in the water. Remove from heat and allow to cool until the water is warm.
Step 8
Divide the dough into 8 pieces of equal size. Shape those pieces into a pretzel.
Step 9
In order to shape your homemade soft pretzels, roll each equal piece of dough into 1-inch thick ropes. Make the dough into a U-shape, take both ends and twist the top two times.
Invert twisted edges to the bottom part of the U and press the dough together to secure it in place.
Step 10
Next, you will put the shaped pretzels into the warm baking soda water for 3 minutes before placing them on a lined baking sheet.
Step 11
Sprinkle the pretzels with salt before baking for 8 – 10 minutes or pretzels are golden brown.
Homemade soft pretzels notes and tips
- Eggwash the top of the pretzel before baking. This will make them shiny and golden brown on top. It will also help the salt or seasonings to adhere to the top better.
- You can also brush the top of the pretzels with butter before baking to make them even more soft, chewy, and delicious!
- Pretzel salt, or coarse salt, is the type that I prefer to use but you can also use Kosher salt or Sea Salt on top of your pretzels.
Variations of homemade soft pretzels to try
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar, chocolate chips, or sprinkles on the pretzel before baking for a sweet and savory soft pretzel. YUM!
- Add some parmesan, cheddar, or your favorite cheese to the pretzel for a savory bite.
- Serve a dipping sauce with your freshly made soft pretzels such as a cheese sauce, hummus, mustard, or guacamole.
- Top the pretzels with a thin layer of your favorite jelly.
- Top the pretzels with your favorite cheese such as cheddar or parmesan.
FAQs about homemade soft pretzels
Do you have questions about making Homemade Soft Pretzels? If you have a question and don’t see it already answered below, please leave it for me in the comments!
Allow the pretzels to cool completely after baking, place them in an airtight container or storage bag and keep them at room temperature. These pretzels will keep nicely for 2 – 3 days.
Definitely! They will freeze well for up to 1 – 2 months if stored in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Yes! 😉 After preparing the dough, you can keep it in the fridge for up to a day. You can also freeze the dough for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
Once you remove the dough from the freezer, allow thawing in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
More Flavorful Bread Recipes To Try
I hope you’ll give these homemade soft pretzels a try! If you want even more bread goodness, check out these popular recipes!
- Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread
- The BEST Fresh Strawberry Bread
- Pumpkin Spice Bread
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Homemade Soft Pretzels are surprisingly easy to make and fun to create according to your own unique taste. Impress our family and friends!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 1 cup warm water (between 90-110F)
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, as needed
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp baking soda
- flaked salt or Kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir and let yeast bubble for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, as needed to form a cohesive dough.
- Fold the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Place dough back in bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set in a warm spot of your kitchen and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 475F.
- Boil 4 cups of water and dissolve baking soda in it. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm.
- Divide pretzel dough into 8 equal pieces, then shape into pretzel shapes.
- To shape dough into pretzels, roll each segment into 1" thick ropes. Form the rope into a U-shape, then take both ends and twist twice at the top. Invert the twisted edges to the bottom of the U-shape and press dough together to secure.
- Place shaped pretzels in the warm baking soda water for 2 minutes then move to a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
