homemade soft pretzels (3 flavors!) (2024)

Soft Pretzels are easier to make at home than you’d think, and taste even better than the ones you find in the mall! The simple dough is made by hand, and the pretzels bake to fluffy, chewy perfection. A baking soda bath gives them the classic pretzel flavor, and I’ve included recipe variations for sweet or savory pretzels with fun dip ideas for each.

Why you’ll love these Homemade Soft Pretzels:

• Easy Recipe – Although we are working with yeast, this recipe is simple enough for even bread baking newbies!
• Taste Like Mall Pretzels – My homemade version tastes just as good as the soft pretzels you get in the mall!
• Customizable Flavors – Make your pretzels the classic way, with salt, or brush them with melted butter out of the oven and coat them in cinnamon sugar!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.

• Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
• Milk – I use 2% milk (this is what we always keep on hand). However, I think whole or skim milk would be fine as well.
• Yeast – Use instant yeast (or rapid rise yeast), not active dry yeast.
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar helps give the classic flavor to our pretzel dough, and provides sugar for the yeast to feed on. Do not omit this!
• Salt – Salt provides flavor!
• All-Purpose Flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
• Egg – A beaten egg makes our egg wash – this is brushed on the dough before baking to help them bake up to a deep golden brown, and give a nice shine.

Ingredient Substitutions:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted dairy-free milk and butter.
• Gluten-free – I have not tested these with any gluten-free flour.

How to Make this Soft Pretzel Recipe Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Make the Dough. Whisk together the melted butter, yeast, sugar, and warm milk. Stir in the flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 2: Knead Dough & Let it Rise. Knead the dough on a floured countertop for 4-5 minutes. It will smooth out as you knead and will spring back when lightly indented with a fingertip. Place the ball of dough back in the (greased!) mixing bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 3: Divide Dough & Shape Pretzels. Slice the risen dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each one out into a long rope with your hands. Then, lay the rope in a large “U” shape, and cross the ends over each other twice. Bring this twisted part back down over the curve of the “U” and you have a classic pretzel twist! Repeat with each piece of dough. (See step-by-step images below the next image.)

Step 4: Baking Soda Bath. Drop the pretzels, 2-3 at a time, into a large pot of boiling water (not warm water – boiling!) & baking soda for about 30 seconds. This gives that classic pretzel taste!

Step 5: Egg Wash & Bake. Place the twists on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash (for deep golden color & shine!) and sprinkle with salt, if using. Bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Serving + Storing this Recipe:

Enjoy these soft pretzels while they’re fresh & piping hot from the oven! Brush with melted butter if desired, and finish with any other toppings/dips you like. See suggestions for flavor variations by scrolling just a few sections down from here.

Expert Success Tips for Homemade Pretzels:

• Oven Thermometer – Anoven thermometerwill tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale –Afood scaleis the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
• Dough Rising – When it comes to yeasted breads like this one, the most important thing to remember is that your dough should double in size during the rise time – this takes precedence over the approximate rise time! This could take less than one hour on a hot summer day, or if your home/kitchen runs quite warm. This could also take longer than one hour on a cold day or if your home runs quite cold. Mine took 60-65 minutes on a cloudy winter day, but our house sits around 67-69 degrees.

FAQs:

Recipe Variations:

• Classic Salty – Brush with egg wash and add coarse salt for a classic pretzel. Serve with cheese sauce, or with my Beer Cheese Soup!
• Cinnamon Sugar – Brush the baked pretzels with melted butter and coat in cinnamon sugar for a sweet variation. Serve with chocolate sauce or cream cheese dip!
• Garlic Parmesan – Bake the pretzels with egg wash and no salt. Brush the baked twists with butter, then dip in a mixture of grated parmesan, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Serve with marinara sauce.
• Cheddar Jalapeño – After egg-washing, press a few jalapeño slices into the top of each pretzel. Sprinkle on a little pretzel salt, then sprinkle a little shredded cheddar cheese on top of that, and bake as directed.
• Pizza Pretzels – After egg-washing, press a few small pepperoni slices (buy mini ones, or cut regular pepperoni into smaller pieces) into the top of each pretzel. Sprinkle on a little pretzel salt, then sprinkle a little shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top of that, and bake as directed.
• Plain – Feel free to just brush on the egg wash and skip the salt and cinnamon sugar if you prefer plain soft pretzels.

Special Tools:

• Slotted Flipper – Use a slotted spatula or a fish spatula (so versatile!) to lower and remove your pretzels from the baking soda bath. This allows extra liquid to drain out.
• Pretzel Salt – I like to buy salt specifically made for pretzels – the crystals in this pretzel salt are just the right size. Pretzel salt crystals are not too large and not too small. I think regular coarse salt found in the grocery store may be in too large of pieces – you could purchase that however, and try breaking the pieces up by crushing them in a plastic baggie with a rolling pin.
• Instant Read Thermometer – An instant read thermometer tells you if your warmed milk is the correct temperature, and can help you ensure your pretzels are baked to perfection!

More Fun Snack Recipes to Love:

• Classic Puppy Chow
• Edible Cookie Dough Bites
• Homemade Chocolate Bark (Customizable!)
• Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

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