Incredible Homemade Soft Pretzels
Learn how to make the perfect homemade pretzel that's crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Follow my tips and tricks and have fun with various toppings to make a super fun snack!
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Dough
- 1 ½ cups warm milk
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 3 ¾ cups white flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt option to decrease to ½ ( you can always add more on top)
- 3 ¾ tablespoon unsalted butter
Additions
- 2 tablespoon melted unsalted butter to brush on top before bake
- kosher salt for topping
- optional shredded cheese for topping
For the Baking Soda Bath
- 3 cups water
- 3 tablespoon baking soda
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a small saucepan heat milk on low heat for a few minutes. If you dip your finger in down to your cuticle it should be warm and not hot at all.
- While heating milk, in a large mixing bowl add flour, salt, and butter (room temperature but not to where you can squish it with your finger).
- Transfer warm milk to another bowl and add yeast to let activate for 5-8 minutes.
- Once the yeast has activated, add it to the bowl with flour mixture and combine. I use my hands.
- If you're splitting the batch to add different flavors do that now.
- Knead dough by hand for about 5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky. Place into a bowl and cover (with lid or cheese cloth). Let rest for about 45 minutes until doubled in size.
Set up Prep Station While Dough is Rising
- In a medium-sized sauce pan (wide and short is better that deep) add 3 cups water and 3 tbsp. baking soda. Find a utensil you can use to scoop out dough from bath like a large slotted spoon or slotted metal spatula.
- Make a clean work surface for rolling out dough and place toppings ( kosher salt, turbinado sugar, shredded cheese...) in small bowls.
- Prep cookie sheets with parchment paper. I'd recommend prepping 2 cookie sheets if possible or 1 cookie sheet and a pizza stone with parchment paper on top.
- Add 2 tablespoon cubed butter to a small saucepan to heat on stove or place in a microwave save bowl. Set aside a pastry brush for this step.
Once Dough Has Risen
- Melt 2 tbsp. butter on stovetop or in microwave but keep warm so it doesn't harden while you're forming your pretzels.
- Heat baking soda bath on medium heat and bring to a low boil.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. If using a convection oven you don't need to preheat.
Forming the Pretzels
- Remove dough from bowl. If the dough is a little sticky don't worry, roll it around in your hands for a bit until it becomes soft and no longer sticky, but try to not add more flour! Form dough into a log shape and cut into 12 equal portions: *Cut log in half, then each section in half again, then each section into thirds *I like to work with ½ the dough at a time, reserving the other half in the bowl
- Find a clean work surface. I would not recommend flouring the surface (it makes it harder to roll the dough into a rope). 1 dough ball at a time, roll each portion into a rope about 24"-30" in length, keeping the remaining pieces in a bowl covered. If dough continues to bounce back just leave it for a minute and try again. Slap the rope on the counter to remove any bubbles and help stretch out dough. If dough is difficult to roll on your work surface you can manipulate it in your hands just be gentle not to break the rope.
- Pick up ends of rope and make a double twist (see images above in narrative). If it twists too much just unwind it. Lay it down on work surface and bring the ends down to the bottom and gently press down. Form 6 pretzels at a time (this is how many you should be able to easily fit on a cookie sheet).
- Place a dab of water where the ends of the rope attach to the bottom of the pretzel to make sure it's stuck together. Gently pick up 1 pretzel and gently place it into boiling baking soda bath for about 3-4 seconds max. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on prepared baking sheet.If your pretzel comes apart after the baking soda bath reshape it right away very gently. Make sure the twist in the middle is tight without gaps. However your pretzel looks now will be how it turns out after baking. After this point, you won't be able to reshape or fix it.
- Repeat until all 6 pretzels are dipped. Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter onto 1 pretzel at a time and immediately sprinkle kosher salt, cheese, or turbinado sugar on top. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
Baking
- Bake at 400℉ on the middle rack for about 17 minutes or until golden brown (my time is consistently 17-18 minutes). Convection Oven Option: Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. If they stick, let them rest for a minute and be gentle with removing them.
- Repeat steps of rolling out ropes, forming pretzels, dipping in bath, brushing on butter and adding topping with remaining 6 pretzels. Make sure you don't place the 2nd batch of pretzels onto the same cookie sheet if the pan is still hot. Use another pan.
- Serve with yellow mustard or melted cheese!
- See notes for Storing
Notes
*Let pretzels cool before storing. Store in an airtight container and place a piece of paper towel in the container to absorb any moisture.
*If you store these in an airtight container, the kosher salt on stop will absorb into the pretzel and gives it a "bubbly" texture and the pretzels soften up overnight. Crisp them up by reheating them.
*To crisp them up reheat in oven on 350℉ for about 8 minutes. Option to sprinkle water on the top then sprinkle kosher salt again before reheating. I typically use a toaster oven to reheat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!