Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels (Brezeln) Recipe
These homemade soft pretzels are quick, easy, and incredibly delicious. Made with just 6 ingredients, they bake up golden and chewy in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 166kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast (1 standard size packet)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm water (around 100°F/38°C)
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- coarse salt for topping
Baking Soda Bath
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 9 cups water
Instructions
- Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water. Cover and allow to sit for 1 minute. Then whisk in the melted butter and salt.
- Add 3 cups (375g) of flour to the yeast mixture and combine in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Once combined, add 3/4 cup more flour, adding up to an additional 1/4 cup (in 1 tablespoon increments) until the dough is slightly tacky, but not overly sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Knead the dough: If using a stand mixer, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. Or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface. Add small amounts of flour during kneading if the dough becomes too sticky. To determine if the dough is ready to rise, poke a finger into the dough. If it slowly bounces back, it's ready to rise. Or, do a "windowpane test" (as mentioned in our single loaf whole wheat bread recipe) by pinching off a small amount of dough and gently stretching it until it's thin enough, without breaking, for light to pass through. Keep kneading until it passes one of these tests.
- Rest the Dough: Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 to 30 minutes. While it's resting, bring the water and baking soda to a boil, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper lightly sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Portion the Dough: With a knife or pizza cutter, portion the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 75g or 1/3 cup portions.
- Shape the Pretzels: Roll each portion into a 20–22-inch rope. Form a circle by bringing the 2 rope ends to the top of the circle and twisting the ends together. Then, bring the twisted ends to the bottom of the circle and press then gently into the dough to form a pretzel shape.
- Baking Soda Water Bath: To the water bath, carefully drop 1–2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20–30 seconds, but not longer. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water, let drain and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with coarse salt and repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking.
- To Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes or until dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. We love to serve it with German mustard.
- Storing: Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Making Ahead: If freezing baked pretzels, omit the coarse salt. Let it cool completely and freeze in airtight freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen pretzels, brush lightly with water and sprinkle coarse salt over the top. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through. You can also microwave frozen pretzels until warm. To make the dough ahead, you can refrigerate prepared dough up to 24 hours or freeze it for longer storage. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then shape. If the dough is still very cold, let it rest at room temperature for about 1 hour before the water bath.
- Baking Soda Bath: This simple technique helps create the distinctive chewy texture and flavor we love in pretzels.
Nutrition
Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1671mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 2mg