Homemade Soft Pretzels

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These homemade soft pretzels are so easy to make, and you only need to let the dough rise for 10 minutes! All you need to do is whip up a simple dough and then boil it in baking soda water before baking. Customize your soft pretzels with delicious dips, cinnamon sugar coatings, or a classic coarse salt.

a teal green blue plate with a soft pretzel on it and another one leaning against it as the more focal point of the image

Why I Love This Recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzels

I love pretzels in every form, whether they’re soft pretzels, crunchy pretzels, or caramel covered pretzels. However, in the past, I’ve been pretty intimidated to make my own soft pretzels! I’m happy to say that my nerves were unnecessary because these are pretty simple and oh-so-yummy!

All you have to do is whip up a dough, form it into pretzel shapes, and then boil them. That’s right – boil the dough! It’s the secret step in making soft pretzels and, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the process.

Now that I’ve realized how easy it is to make these soft and chewy snacks my mind is running with so many different options. The dough could be used to make buns, we could make it sweet instead of savory, etc. The possibilities seem limitless (and I shared some ideas below!).

Key Ingredients for Soft Pretzels

Just as the ease of making soft pretzels surprised me, so did the simple ingredient list! I had almost all of these items in my kitchen already.

Warm Water – to active the yeast
Honey – to feed the yeast
Salt
Active Dry Yeast
All-Purpose Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Butter – melted
Oil – for greasing the pan
Water – for boiling
Baking Soda – for boiling
Egg Yolk and Water – for coating
Pretzel Salt – can also substitute kosher salt, sea salt, or another coarse food-grade salt

How to Make Homemade Pretzels

Step 1: Dissolve the Yeast

Begin by combining the warm water, honey, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, sprinkle the yeast on top. Gently stir the mixture together and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to let the yeast dissolve.

Step 2: Make Dough

Then, add the butter and both flours to the mixture. Using the dough hook, mix everything together on a low speed until it’s combined. On medium speed, knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 30 minutes).

Step 3: Preheat and Prep

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly brush them with oil.

Step 4: Boil

Next, bring ten cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.

Step 5: Form Pretzels

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface and divide it into eight equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 24-inch long rope. Make a “U” shape and then cross the ends over each other to make a pretzel shape. Place these formed pretzels onto the prepared baking sheets.

Step 6: Boil and Bake

Finally, place the pretzels one at a time into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove them with a large spatula and put them on the baking sheet. Brush each boiled pretzel with egg yolk mixed water and sprinkle each with salt.

Bake the pretzels until they’re a dark gold color, which should take about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before consuming. Enjoy!

Homemade soft pretzels pictured with two on a teal green plate and one torn apart leaning against the plate

FAQs

Why do you boil soft pretzels before baking?

Boiling the pretzel dough in baking soda water gives pretzels their browned outer color. Beyond that, it allows the pretzel to start cooking so that when it bakes we wind up with a somewhat snappy outer shell and a soft and chewy inside.

Is pretzel dough different than bread dough?

Not really! Pretzel dough is a standard yeast dough so it’s pretty much the same as any simple bread dough. The difference is in the way the dough is cooked (the boiling method).

How To Store Soft Pretzels

You can store your leftover soft pretzels at room temperature for about 2-3 days in a variety of ways. You can keep them in a brown paper bag so the moisture can escape, or wrap them up in saran wrap and leave them on the counter or in a bread box. Reheat them at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.

To make your pretzels last longer, you can allow them to cool and then wrap them up in saran wrap, put them in a freezer bag, and store them in the freezer for about a month. Reheat them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

What to Serve With Soft Pretzels

Dips, dips, and more dips! I personally love a cheese dip with my soft pretzels so you could use this chile con queso dip or a chili cheese dip.
For sweet dip options, you could try this chocolate cream cheese dip, pumpkin dip, or an easy marshmallow fruit dip.
Some other dip options include hummus, spinach and artichoke dip, or classic mustard!
Use your pretzel dough to make different kinds of foods more special. You can make a pretzel bun for a sandwich.
Make a long hotdog-style pretzel bun and make a breakfast “dog” full of eggs, cheese, and bacon.
Toss your pretzels in a cinnamon sugar coating like Auntie Anne’s pretzels.
Boil and bake your dough in smaller sections to create pretzel “bites.” Toss them in Old Bay seasoning and dip them in crab dip.

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