Recipes Main Dishes Pizza Recipes Pretzel Crust Pizza Be the first to rate & review! 1 Photo What makes pretzel dough different from regular pizza dough is the baking soda wash to create the signature “pretzel flavor” and a crunchy brown crust. By Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein has loved baking since the age of 6 and now works for the Dotdash Meredith team as a Test Kitchen Assistant. The one tool Amanda cannot live without would have to be a rubber spatula. She calls it "an absolute essential and such a versatile tool". Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on May 2, 2024 Tested by Julia Levy Tested by Julia Levy Julia Levy is an experienced cook with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. She is skilled in catering, food & beverage, event planning, and menu development. She tests and develops recipes in the DotDash Meredith Test Kitchen for Southern Living. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Stand Time: 30 mins Cool Time: 5 mins Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Servings: 10 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe A pretzel dough may not be your first thought when you want to make a pizza, but it's the perfect way to try something new. And if you are both a fan of soft pretzels and pizza, you’ve come to the right place. “The crust is the perfect balance of dense and fluffy,” says recipe developer Amanda Holstein. “Tasted like a traditional pizza but with a crunchy-salty pretzel crust surrounding all the cheesy goodness.” Just like any pizza, this one can really be made with whatever sauce and toppings you want. While this recipe uses a cheese sauce as the base, and more mozzarella on top for good measure, a tomato sauce is always an option. If a little heat sounds nice, add chopped pickled jalapeno chiles to the cheese sauce. Dough for soft pretzels differs from traditional pizza dough in one main way: Pretzel dough gets a baking soda, lye, or malt syrup wash to create the signature “pretzel flavor” and the crunchy brown crust. A proper pretzel will be made with a traditional lye bath, which gives the snack its deep brown color and signature flavor. Considering lye can be dangerous if handled improperly, a baking soda bath, which this recipe uses, can create a very similar result. “The crust has a great pretzel flavor and the right amount of chew,” says recipe tester Liz Mervosh. “This is kind of like the pizza version of soft pretzel sticks dipped into nacho cheese sauce.” Editorial Contributions by Keaton Larson Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings Pizza 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110 degrees F (43 degrees C)) 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast 3 ½ cups bread flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt neutral cooking oil, for greasing bowl cooking spray 1 tablespoon baking soda 2 tablespoons hot water 2 cups shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese 30 pepperoni slices (such as Hormel) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted pretzel salt Cheese Sauce 1/3 cup whole milk 8 ounces processed cheese (such as Velveeta), cubed 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Prepare the pizza: Place warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Whisk until just combined, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Add flour and salt; mix on low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and knead until dough is smoothand elastic, about 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Shape dough into a ball, and transfer to a large greased bowl, rotating dough to coat all sides in oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean damp towel; let rest in a warm area until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (230 degrees C) with a pizza stone or overturned large rimmed baking sheet on the center rack. Grease a large 15-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Punch down dough, and transfer to the prepared pizza pan. Using clean hands, press dough to the outer edge of the pan (dough should be 15 inches in diameter). Fold 1 to 1 1/2-inches of dough’s outer edge over itself to create adefined crust (dough should be 13 inches in diameter to the outer edge). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Combine baking soda and hot water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and outer edges of crust; discard any remaining baking soda mixture. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake crust on pizza stone in preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the cheese sauce: Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Reduce heat to low; add processed cheese, in batches, whisking constantly until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk in butter, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Set aside until ready to use. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Spread cheese sauce evenly over par-baked crust. Sprinkle with an even layer of mozzarella cheese, and top evenly with pepperoni slices. Brush outer crust with melted butter, and sprinkle evenly with pretzel salt. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake in the preheated oven at 425 degrees F (230 degrees C) until mozzarella is slightly browned and melted and crust is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on pizza pan for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 286 Calories 8g Fat 39g Carbs 15g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 286 % Daily Value * Total Fat 8g 10% Saturated Fat 3g 16% Cholesterol 19mg 6% Sodium 904mg 39% Total Carbohydrate 39g 14% Dietary Fiber 2g 7% Total Sugars 3g Protein 15g 30% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 251mg 19% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 122mg 3% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.