This is one of the easiest ways to prepare homemade soft pretzels and the results are extra delicious. The soft pretzel dough only needs to rest for 10 minutes before shaping. The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor. Make sure you watch the video for how to shape pretzels!
Homemade soft pretzels are nothing new around here because this recipe has been a reader favorite for years. The dough requires just 6 ingredients and there’s hardly any rise time, so not only are these easy, they’re pretty quick too. In fact, I remember feeling pleasantly surprised at the ease and speed the first time I made them—it took us only 30 minutes to make 1 batch! Over the years, I’ve added a smidge of melted butter to the dough for improved flavor. Furthermore, we’ve introduced the baking soda bath. While it sounds strange, this step is what gives pretzels that iconic flavor, chewy texture, helps deepen their golden color in the oven, and locks in the super soft interior. If you get the water boiling ahead of time, it really only adds 5 minutes to the entire process. We do it every time now. It’s worth it!
We’ve also made them soft pretzel bites, soft pretzel knots (with various toppings), and soft pretzel rolls from this simple dough. We’ve also jazzed them up as crab pretzels. There’s no wrong way to shape a pretzel, but let’s stick with tradition today. I promise you’ll no longer feel intimidated working with yeast, shaping pretzels, or the baking soda bath. Even if you have zero skill in the kitchen, you can make these homemade soft pretzels.
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS
Let’s chat about the dough. You need the simplest, most basic ingredients possible and I guarantee each one is in your kitchen right now. Warm water, 1 packet yeast, melted butter, brown or regular granulated sugar, salt, and flour.
Let the yeast foam in the warm water for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, a hand mixer, or—like you’ll notice in the video below the recipe—no mixer at all. Work with what you have in the kitchen.
Guess what? You don’t have to wait to let this dough rise. YES! Well, we’ll let it rest for 10 minutes while you get the baking soda + water boiling on the stove but that’s it. Don’t have any patience? This is the recipe for you. By the way, did you know that some pretzel recipes call for rising overnight? They’re remarkable pretzels but I’m satisfied with this ultra quick dough!
How to Shape Homemade Soft Pretzels
Now it’s time to shape.
Roll 1/3 cup of dough into a long 20-22 inch rope.
Twist the ends and bring the ends down. That’s a pretzel!
Now drop the pretzels into the boiling water + baking soda. Let them boil for 20-30 seconds each, then place onto a baking sheet. This pretzel dough makes 12 regular size soft pretzels, so I use 2 baking sheets. 6 on each.
Sprinkle with salt and bake in a hot oven. That’s it, you’re done.
And if you want to kick your soft pretzel status into major high gear, add some spicy nacho cheese sauce.
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Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 pretzels
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is one of the easiest ways to prepare homemade soft pretzels and the results are extra delicious! The dough is a family recipe and only needs to rest for 10 minutes before shaping. The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor. Make sure you watch the video for how to shape pretzels!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm– no need to take temperature but around 100°F (38°C) is great)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool
- 3 and 3/4-4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- coarse salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Baking Soda Bath (See Recipe Note)
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 9 cups (2,160ml) water
Instructions
- Whisk the yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attached to stand mixer) until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 6.)
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
- With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections (about 75g each).
- Roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
- Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 7.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce.
- Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled pretzels freeze well up to 2-3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pretzels at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through or microwave frozen pretzels until warm. The prepared pretzel dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time, about 1 hour, for the pretzels to puff up before the baking soda bath and baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl | Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Pizza Cutter
- Baking Soda Bath (Step 6): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk. This is known as an egg wash. Sprinkle the brushed pretzels with salt. The egg wash will help the salt stick. If you don’t have an egg, simply brush with 2 Tablespoons of dairy or nondairy milk.
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the coarse salt topping (and skip the egg wash, see note above, if you aren’t doing the baking soda bath step). Bake as directed in step 7. Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons (60g) of unsalted or salted butter (your choice). Brush the baked and warm pretzels with melted butter then dip the tops into a mix of cinnamon and sugar. I usually use 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are best served that day because due to the melted butter topping, they become soggy after a few hours.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Keywords: soft pretzels
Delicious pretzels! This is my third time making them. I enlisted the help of friends during a Christmas party and they had the best time helping. I bet this would be a great recipe for kids to help out with too! I used parchment paper underneath the last time and the bottom stuck to the paper. I baked it right on the sheet and it was fine!
★★★★★
WOW! Greetings from China. I made these yesterday, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven! These were the best soft pretzels I’ve had since my last trip to New York! You can’t get soft pretzels here anywhere, so being able to make my own is wonderful!
Just one question though; I was going to make another batch tonight, but just realized I only have about a cup of AP flour left. Would bread flour work?
So glad you loved these, thanks so much for letting me know! You can use the same amount of bread flour to replace some or all of the all-purpose flour.
Thanks for the reply! One more question; I’ve been having trouble with reheating the leftovers. I’m storing them overnight in ziplock bags, and the skin gets wrinkly and peels off the pretzel in places. Then when I reheat them in a toaster oven, parts of each pretzel reheat fine, while other parts get too tough and chewy. Any suggestions?
★★★★★
These pretzels were soooo good!! Saving this recipe! Big thanks!
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HELLZ, YEAH. These are great and they are about to become a family fave. Tried the pretzel rolls first and was encouraged so this morning, I moved on to these. Both are excellent recipes. Simple and delicious!
★★★★★
Can you use the same water bath for multiple batches?
I’d say up to 2 separate batches of this recipe for 1 baking soda bath. After that, start over with a fresh pot of water/baking soda.
Sooo… I thought I was baking my way through your blog quickly before. Now, I’m pregnant. Now the kitchen is destroyed daily. Cakes, pies, rolls, soup, cranberry sauce, cookies, chili, cinnamon rolls, muffins, EVERYTHING has turned out perfect. These pretzels are no exception. I made them exactly as written, baked them 15 minutes, and they were amazing!! I’m off to pick something else to bake tomorrow. <3 Thanks, Sally!
★★★★★
I have a question about the recipe. I grew up on traditional New York City street pretzels. (No sweetness, no butter) The first time I tasted an Aunt Annie’s pretzel was the least time. I couldn’t eat it. It was gross to me. You mentioned adding brown sugar and melted butter to your husband’s family’s recipe. Any chance of sharing the original recipe, please, without the butter and brown sugar?
Absolutely! Just leave out the butter and brown sugar.
Ok I have never posted a comment on anything before, and I have made so many online recipes, but these pretzels are the most delicious and easiest things I’ve ever baked!! My husband is a pretzel fanatic and he was blown away by them!! Don’t hesitate to make these! Thank you thank you thank you sally!! So happy I joined your e mail list!
★★★★★
These pretzels are absolutely amazing!!! I will be making this recipe again and again! Thanks for the great recipe Sally! 🙂
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I love this recipe!! They were delicious.
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I have made this recipe many times since you first posted it, often with my granddaughter who has multiple food allergies (these are safe for her). One question—what type of pot do you recommend for the water bath? I learned that Calphalon was a bad choice (it took the finish off). I have been using aluminum, but am not sure that is good either.
Hi Grace, I’m happy to help. So glad you enjoy these homemade soft pretzels! Aluminum is fine. I usually use my large cast iron dutch oven.
I was excited to try these. They came together very well, it when it came to rolling them out, it was a bit tricky. I figured out how to do it, but they are much harder than it seems. They are so good, and of course I served them with soft cheddar dip! Will definitely make them again.
★★★★★
Could you use this recipe to make pretzel buns?
Hi Sue, see my pretzel rolls for details. Enjoy!
I was looking for ideas on what to make for Superbowl this year. As we are Chiefs fans, everyone is really excited and really looking forward to the game. Decided to test your recipe ahead of time so made them today and oh my, they are absolutely fabulous! Somehow I must have missed dunking one of them in the baking soda bath. I no longer have to wonder if it is necessary. The one I missed was pale and sad looking compared to the rest. The cheese sauce was the perfect accompaniment. We had a snow storm last night so were stuck at home today and really had fun making these. Will definitely be making more of them for the crowd on Sunday.
★★★★★
I have always wanted make pretzels but I was too scared of them. This recipe was so easy and fun. My twisted ones were a bit wonky but the taste and texture were DIVINE! Best pretzels I have ever had–for real! Thank you for the easy recipe and the fabulous results!
★★★★★
made these for the first time for my partner who loves pretzels…yum-o!! I’m not a pretzel fan (NEVER bought them) but I’ll be making these again and experimenting with different grains…almond flour anyone???
★★★★★
Just made a batch of these, and they came out amazing! I only baked them 7 minutes, then turned the oven off and left them in there for an additional 4 minutes, and they came out perfect.
I’m really wanting to try this recipe but I’ve never seen a yeast recipe that needs NO rise time!?
It’s true 🙂 This dough only needs to rest for 10 minutes before shaping. I hope you try it!
Great recipe. Have made twice. First time I used a spoon to mix and while the end product turned out great, I feel like the second time around when I used my mixer with dough hook, it was so much easier and faster to make the dough. I have no suggestions to make this better and found this to be SUPER easy. Will continue to use.
★★★★★
Love this recipe! I just had my second child and home on maternity leave so I picked up baking as a hobby. This is litterally my 3rd batch im making this week! I did try the parchment paper on my last batch and they stuck. So this time im just laying them on my stone baking sheet. Wish me luck!
★★★★★
Great recipe.
So quick, easy and so tasty. Not too many ingredients needed either.
I made a full recipe, cooked only six and froze the other half of the dough for another time.
I sprinkled salt on the six I cooked but will make the other six sweet by dunking two in cinnamon sugar, pipping two with dark chocolate and glazing two.
I read that someone was having trouble rolling out the dough, I did too, until I rolled each piece on a flourless surface.
Will save this recipe.
★★★★★
I made these yesterday. First time I have baked with yeast. They were simple and delicious. I wanted to add some sweet so I topped some with cranberries. I should have combined in the dough.
The one problem they stuck to the parchment terrible. We ate them paper and all. Any idea why they stuck so bad. Will definitely make again
★★★★★
Were you using waxed paper instead of parchment? Parchment paper doesn’t stick… Just curious because I have made that mistake before.
No I used parchment paper but I just thought of it it was the really cheap stuff from the dollar store. Maybe that was the problem. I am going to make another batch this weekend and I will use the good parchment
★★★★★
Easy, quick and delicious.
★★★★★
Hi! I google for a soft baked pretzel recipe to prepare for the Super Bowl and I’m glad this is one of the first that came up. Easy, delicious, thank you!
However, I had a little difficulty with the rolling of the dough: the ropes kept pulling themselves back to their center like elastics and it made that step more complicated than I anticipated. Since you are very clear and explicit in your recipes and there was no mention of this, there must be something wrong in my process. Too much flour, water or kneading maybe? Can you help me out? Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Hi Martin! This is an easy fix for next time. If the ropes keep shrinking back down, stop what you’re doing, lightly cover the rope with a clean kitchen towel/aluminum foil/whatever you have and let it rest for 10 minutes. This gives the gluten a chance to settle. Then, return to rolling/shaping the dough. It will be easier to work with after a little rest.
Such a great recipe, I LOVE soft pretzels! Also, i highly recommend using Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning on top if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s so tasty!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, will these end up with a sweet taste because if the brown sugar? Or will they have the traditional salty pretzel taste? Thanks!
They will taste like a traditional salty pretzel! Although if you are looking for a sweeter pretzel, you could use a brown sugar topping instead of the salt. Enjoy!
This was my first time trying to make pretzels from scratch and they were a huge success! I did a mixture of fillings (depending on different family members taste), some were with spinach, mozzarella, and perfect seasoning, some with ham and cheese, some with jalapenos and cheese and some just cheese. They were all wonderful and the family loved them! I am happy to hear they can be frozen so we can reheat when we crave them! 🙂 Thank you for this awesome and easy recipe, I will use this again and again, it was so easy and tasty!
★★★★★
Made these today with my 7 year old daughter. We made half a batch with cinnamon inside and the other half with the rock salt on top. They were very easy to make and tons of fun. Taste amazing, will be making again before Christmas.
★★★★★
Once you make them, how do you store them? How long will they last without freezing them? I want to take some to a Christmas Party, can I make them the day before?
Hi Ashley, You can make them the day before. Pretzels may be stored in an airtight container or zipped top bag for up to 3 days (they lose a little softness).
The kids loved them.
★★★★★
Have you ever tried using food grade Lye in your boil instead of baking soda? I’ve read it makes them more tastier? And brown darker? Just curious…these are yummy!
★★★★★
So good ,I made them for my grandmothers birthday . I have one question about the part when it says nead the dough for three minutes do you mean let the dough sit then nead the dough or that it will take 3 minutes to nead the dough
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My family and friends loved them. Very easy.
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