Go Back
+ servings
The golden brown, baked pretzels on a vintage wire rack.
Print

Easiest Soft Pretzels, Two Ways

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.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Homemade Soft Pretzels, Game Day Recipes, Appetizers
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 8 pretzels
Calories 329kcal
Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Pretzel Dough

  • 3 tbsp salted butter, melted
  • 1 and 1/2 cups warm milk (100℉ to 110℉)
  • 3 and 1/4 tsp instant yeast Also called "rapid rise yeast"
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the Baking Soda Bath

  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 9 cups water

For Topping & Baking

  • 1 large egg, for egg wash
  • pretzel salt Or coarse sea salt

For Finishing

  • melted butter
  • cinnamon sugar
  • garlic parmesan seasoning

Instructions

  • Make the Dough: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk to a 2-cup glass measuring cup and warm in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each. It should be warm but not super hot - when in doubt, check for 100 to 110℉ with an instant thermometer. Add the warm milk to the bowl of butter, along with the yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Whisk well, then stir in the flour last. You'll have a shaggy dough. Flour your counter, and dump the dough out. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. It will smooth out during this time, and the dough should spring back when gently poked with your fingertip. Shape it into a ball (doesn't need to be perfect!). Give the mixing bowl a light spray with nonstick spray (no need to clean it out first) and place the dough back into the mixing bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, to rise for 1 hour.
    (Note: The main thing to look for is that the dough has doubled in size - even if it takes less or more than 1 hour. Rise time will vary with the temperature of your home.)
  • Prep for baking: Preheat your oven to 450° F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Beat the egg in a small bowl (this will be your egg wash). Add your baking soda and water to a large pot or dutch oven and whisk together. Bring this to a boil while you shape the pretzels.
  • Fill and Shape the Pretzels: Once the dough has doubled in size, dump it onto the counter (don't use flour this time) and gently press down into an oval that's about 9 inches across. Slice this into quarters with a sharp knife (give it a quick spritz of nonstick spray to prevent any sticking) and then slice each quarter into thirds, giving you 12 thin triangles of dough total. (Each should be between 80-90 grams, if you want to check your work). Keep the other dough pieces covered with the kitchen towel while you work, and begin with one - rolling it out on the counter with both hands, like a rope, starting in the middle and working your hands outwards, repeating as needed until the rope is 18-22 inches long. Then, shape it into a "U." Pick up the ends and cross them over each other twice, then bring them down to meet the bottom of the "U" - you just shaped a pretzel! Repeat with 3 more pieces of dough, so you have a batch of four pretzels. We'll get those baking, then repeat the process with the remaining sections of dough.
  • Baking Soda Bath: Drop the filled and shaped pretzels, 2-3 at a time, into the boiling baking soda bath. Leave them in for 20-30 seconds, then remove promptly with a slotted spoon, leaving behind excess liquid, and place them on a prepared baking sheet (you should be able to fit 4 per sheet).
    Note: Too long in the baking soda bath can leave an odd taste.
  • Bake: Brush this batch of four pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt (if using). Bake for 10-12 minutes. They will be a deep golden brown when done. An instant thermometer inserted into the center of the pretzel should read 200-210℉. While this batch bakes, repeat with the next batch of four pretzels, and then repeat one final time with the last 4 pretzels.
  • Serve + Store: 
    For Salted Pretzels: Brush the baked pretzels with melted butter when they're fresh out of the oven, and enjoy immediately! Serve savory pretzels with cheese dip.
    For Cinnamon Sugar or Garlic Parmesan Pretzels: For these flavors, brush hot pretzels with melted butter then coat in cinnamon sugar or a mixture of grated parmesan (the powdery kind), garlic powder, and Italian seasoning (pour it onto a plate, and dunk the pretzels in). Serve cinnamon sugar pretzels with a cream cheese dip (cream cheese + powdered sugar + milk + vanilla to taste), and serve garlic parm ones with a marinara dipping sauce.
    These are absolutely best while they're fresh from the oven, although they can be gently reheated as the day goes on. However, once the first day passes they will not be as good. This is a food that was truly intended to be eaten on the first day. Reheating them in the oven on the 2nd day does help, but seriously - just eat them on the first day!
    Tip: The best way to coat the cinnamon sugar and garlic parm pretzels is to put the coating in a shallow bowl and swirl the buttery pretzel around in it.

Notes

Soft Pretzels with Store Bought Dough: Use a ball of your favorite store-bought pizza dough. Slice it into 12 sections, and follow the directions given above to shape your pretzels, and prep them for baking. Bake at the temperature indicated on the packaging, for 7-12 minutes, checking for doneness in the same way as the recipe above specifies. I've also made these in the past with Rhodes Thaw, Rise, & Bake Bread dough. A bag of that dough comes with 3 loaves, and each loaf is enough to make 6 pretzels. 
Recipe Reviews: This recipe was originally published in December of 2018 and was sponsored by Rhodes. At that time, the recipe only included directions for the pre-made dough option. So, any recipe reviews from prior to January of 2024 are referencing that. The new recipe is absolutely delicious and makes the perfect homemade pretzel!

Nutrition

Serving: 1pretzel | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 2567mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 3mg