You know what’s great about making pretzels at home? They’re way easier than you’d think. I’m talking about a dough that only needs 10 minutes of rest time and comes together with stuff you probably already have sitting around. The secret to getting that classic pretzel taste? A quick dip in boiling baking soda water. Trust me, it makes all the difference.
This recipe has been a hit with readers for years, and honestly, it earned its place in my cookbook “Sally’s Baking 101” (which somehow became a New York Times Best Seller – still can’t believe it!).
Here’s the deal: you need just 6 ingredients, there’s barely any waiting around for the dough to rise, and the whole thing comes together fast. I still remember the first time I made these – I was shocked when we finished a whole batch in just 30 minutes.
Why the Baking Soda Bath Matters
Over time, I’ve tweaked this recipe a bit. Added some melted butter to bump up the flavor. But the real game-changer? That baking soda bath. Yeah, it sounds weird, but here’s what it does:
- Gives you that authentic pretzel taste
- Creates that perfect chewy bite
- Helps them get that deep golden-brown color in the oven
- Keeps the inside super soft
And look, if you get your water boiling while you’re shaping the pretzels, this step only adds about 5 minutes. Totally worth it.
We’ve used this dough for everything – pretzel bites, pretzel knots with different toppings, jalapeño cheddar versions, even pretzel rolls. But let’s keep it classic today.
Anyone Can Make These
Seriously, even if you can’t cook to save your life, you can pull off these pretzels.
What You’ll Need
The ingredient list is stupidly simple:
- Warm water
- One packet of yeast
- Brown sugar (or regular white sugar works fine)
- Melted butter
- Salt
- Flour
That’s it. Nothing fancy.
Putting It Together
Mix your yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let that sit for a minute, then whisk in your butter and salt. Add the flour. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook, or just grab a big bowl and a wooden spoon. Whatever works for you.
The best part? You don’t need to let this dough rise forever. Give it 10 to 30 minutes and you’re good to go. Short on time? Perfect. This recipe’s got your back.
Now, if you’ve got time to kill and want more flavor, you could let it rise longer. Some people even do an overnight rise in the fridge. But honestly? The short rise works great, especially if you’re baking with kids.
Shaping Your Pretzels
This is where it gets fun.
Grab about 1/3 cup of dough and roll it into a long rope – aim for 20 to 22 inches. Then twist the ends together and bring them down to form that classic pretzel shape. Done.
Now comes the baking soda bath. Drop each pretzel into the boiling water and baking soda mixture. Let it hang out there for 20-30 seconds, then fish it out with a slotted spatula and put it on a baking sheet.
This recipe makes 12 pretzels, so I usually use two baking sheets with 6 on each.
Sprinkle on some coarse salt, stick them in a hot oven, and that’s that.
Planning Ahead
One thing to know: if you’re making these ahead of time, skip the salt before baking. The salt pulls moisture out, and once you store them, you’ll end up with soggy, wrinkled pretzels. Not good.
Instead, bake them without salt, let them cool completely, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. When you’re ready to eat, brush them with a little water, add the salt, and warm them up in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.
Same goes for freezing. Cool them completely (no salt), freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you want them, brush the frozen pretzels with water, add salt, and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. No need to thaw first.
Take It Up a Notch
Want to really impress people? Serve these with some spicy nacho cheese sauce. Game changer.
That’s all there is to it. Fresh, warm, salty soft pretzels made right in your own kitchen. Go make some.
PrintEasy Homemade Soft Pretzels
This is hands-down one of the simplest ways to make soft pretzels at home, and they turn out absolutely delicious! The dough comes from a family recipe and only needs 10 to 30 minutes of rest before you shape it. That quick dip in baking soda water gives the pretzels their classic flavor, and I really don’t recommend skipping that step. You’ll also find this recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 pretzels 1x
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Dough:
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast or active dry yeast (that’s 1 standard packet)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (or regular granulated sugar works too)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (shoot for around 100°F/38°C)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled down a bit
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 and 3/4 to 4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour, plus extra if you need it
- coarse salt for sprinkling on top
For the Baking Soda Bath (check the recipe note):
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 9 cups (2.13L) water
Instructions
- Mix the yeast mixture: Whisk your yeast and sugar into the warm water. Cover it up and let it sit for 1 minute.
- Make the dough: Whisk in your melted butter and salt. Add 3 cups (375g) of flour and mix it with a wooden spoon (or use the dough hook on your stand mixer if you’ve got one) until everything comes together. Add another 3/4 cup (94g) of flour until the dough feels slightly tacky and starts pulling away from the bowl sides. Still too sticky? Add up to 1/4 cup more (31g) flour, adding 1 Tablespoon at a time. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, you’re ready to knead.
- Knead it: Keep the dough in your mixer and beat it for another 3 to 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for the same amount of time. (New to making bread? Check out the How to Knead Dough video tutorial—it really helps.) If the dough gets too sticky while you’re kneading, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or your work surface. Just don’t go overboard—you want soft, slightly tacky dough, not dry dough. When you’re done kneading, the dough should still feel a bit soft. Poke it—if it slowly bounces back, you’re good to go. You can also try the “windowpane test”: tear off a small piece (about golf ball-size) and gently stretch it thin enough for light to pass through. Hold it up to a window. Does light come through without the dough tearing? If yes, you’ve kneaded enough. If no, keep going until it passes the test.
- Let it rest: Shape your kneaded dough into a ball. Cover it lightly with a towel and let it rest for 10 to 30 minutes. (This is a good time to get your water and baking soda boiling like it says in step 8.)
- Prep for baking: Heat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone mats work better than parchment here. If you’re using parchment, give it a light spray with nonstick spray or grease it with butter. Set them aside.
- Cut the dough: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut your dough into 75g sections—that’s about 1/3 cup of dough each.
- Shape your pretzels: Roll each piece into a 20-22 inch rope. Make a circle by bringing the two ends together at the top. Twist those ends together. Then bring the twisted part back down toward you and press it down to form that classic pretzel shape.
- The baking soda bath: Bring your 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. Don’t go longer than that or you’ll end up with a metallic taste. Use a slotted spatula to lift the pretzel out and let the excess water drip off. Put it on your prepared baking sheet. Do this with all the pretzels. Want to prep ahead? Cover the boiled, unbaked pretzels with lightly oiled plastic wrap and stick them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking (step 9).
- Bake them: Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the pretzels. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they’re dark golden brown.
- Serve: Take them out of the oven and serve warm. They’re amazing with spicy nacho cheese sauce if you want to go all out.
- Storage: Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. Check the Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions in the recipe notes for more storage details. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
Freezing Baked Pretzels: Planning to freeze pretzels after baking? Skip the coarse salt before they go in the oven. Let them cool completely, then pack them in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, brush the frozen pretzels with water (no thawing needed) and add the coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes until they’re heated through. Or just microwave the frozen pretzels until they’re warm.
Storing the Dough: You can cover the prepared pretzel dough and keep it in the fridge for up to one day, or freeze it in an airtight container for 2-3 months. If you froze it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Cold dough from the fridge can be shaped into pretzels right away, but give them about 1 hour at room temperature to puff up before you move on to the baking soda bath and baking.
Freezing Boiled, Unbaked Pretzels: Here’s another option—after you boil the pretzels in step 8, put them on a lightly greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Freeze them for about 1 hour, then move them to an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag (squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing) and freeze for up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake, brush the frozen pretzels with water (again, no thawing needed) and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15-20 minutes until they’re dark golden brown.