Homemade Soft Pretzels

This easy recipe will ensure your pretzels come out so soft, chewy, and buttery. They are just as irresistible and delicious as the ones from your favorite snack shop.

These homemade soft pretzels are best served hot and fresh out of the oven but will keep for about 2 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Simply pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and they’re good as new!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour + up to ¾ cup more if needed
• 1 tbs. unsalted butter melted
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast 1 standard packet
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 tbs. baking soda
• 1 tbs. coarse salt for sprinkling on top
• 6 tbs. salted butter, melted

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper then set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with hook attachment, combine the yeast with warm water and sugar. Wait 5 minutes, and make sure it’s bubbly and foamy. If it’s not, your yeast is bad, and you need to start over.
4. Once the mixture becomes frothy the yeast is ready. Stir in salt and 1 tbs. of melted butter.
5. Add in the flour, one cup at a time until a dough forms and is no longer sticky. You may need more or less depending on temperature differences. If you press your finger into the dough and it bounces back, it’s ready to knead.
6. Knead the dough for about five more minutes until smooth and pliable. Then form dough into a ball by hand.
7. Lightly grease the bowl used previously and place the dough back in to rest for about 20 minutes. Then cover with a damp towel.
8. In a medium-sized pot, boil 2 cups of water with 4 tbs. of baking soda. Once the baking soda is mostly dissolved, take the mixture off the heat and allow it to come down to a lukewarm temperature.
9. Once it’s cooled down, pour into a 9×9 baking dish.
10. After 20 minutes, the dough would’ve risen, take the dough out of the bowl and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Cut dough into 8 sections.
11. Roll each section into a long rope, about 20 inches long. Then make a U shape with the bottom of the U facing you.
12. Criss-cross the rope twice and fold it over itself to make a pretzel shape. Secure the ends of the pretzels by pressing the ends into the bottom of the U shape so it sticks together.
13. Gently place the pretzel in the baking soda bath for 2 minutes. Then carefully transfer the pretzel onto the prepared baking sheet. You may have to re-shape slightly.
14. Repeat these steps until all 8 pretzels are prepared and on the baking sheets.
15. Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt while still wet.
16. Place in the oven and bake pretzels for about 8-9 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately from the oven, brush (heavily) with 6 tbs. of melted butter.
17. Allow to cool slightly and serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.