Recipes Bread Yeast Bread Recipes Pretzel Recipes Homemade Soft Pretzels 4.6 (2,686) 2,129 Reviews 621 Photos This homemade pretzel recipe is great! After spending so much money on those mall pretzels, I thought I'd try making some myself. They are a bit sweeter than other types and are buttery. Dip the hot pretzel in melted butter and coat with your favorite flavors. Submitted by CHRISTA ROSE Updated on October 20, 2023 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 621 621 621 621 Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Additional Time: 1 hr 10 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 12 Yield: 12 pretzels Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe These soft pretzels are soft and chewy on the inside, but wonderfully crispy and salty on the outside. Plus, the recipe comes together with basic ingredients you probably already have on hand! Trkeillor How to Make Pretzels You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics: What Are Pretzels Made Of? These are the simple, pantry staple ingredients you’ll need to make this soft pretzel recipe: Water: You’ll need 5 ¼ cups of water, divided. Yeast: The recipe starts with four teaspoons of active dry yeast dissolved in water with sugar. Sugar: Dissolve a teaspoon of white sugar with the yeast and use ½ cup white sugar for the dough. Flour: All-purpose flour gives the pretzel dough structure. Salt: You’ll need salt for the dough and to sprinkle on top of the pretzels. Oil: Coat a bowl with vegetable oil before you let the dough rise. Baking soda: Baking soda acts as a leavener, which means it helps the dough rise. Cook’s Note You can substitute two tablespoons of garlic salt or cinnamon-sugar for the kosher salt if you wish. How to Make Soft Pretzels Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade soft pretzels: Activate the yeast with sugar and water. Make the dough and knead it into a ball. Place the dough ball in an oil bowl, turning the ball to coat. Cover and let rise. Turn the dough out, divide into equal pieces, roll into ropes, and shape into pretzels. Dip each pretzel in a mixture of hot water and salt. Sprinkle with salt and bake until brown. How to Shape Pretzels You’re probably familiar with the distinctive pretzel “knot,” but you might not know how to make the shape yourself. Here’s how: Roll the dough into long ropes (about 15-18 inches each). Twist the ends of the dough together. Fold the dough in the opposite direction, over the bottom curve. Check out the step-by-step video at the top of the page for more details. alpers5mama How to Serve Pretzels Serve these soft pretzels with yellow or Dijon mustard (bonus points if you make your own mustard from scratch) or a homemade beer cheese dip. How to Store Soft Pretzels Store your leftover soft pretzels in an airtight container for up to two days. Reheat in the oven, not the microwave, for the best results. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise “Unbelievable,” raves one Allrecipes community member. “These taste nearly identical to a classic mall pretzel. I couldn't shut up about how delicious they are.” “So good,” according to Caitlyn Witt. “Dense and chewy. I brushed on the baking soda mixture instead of dipping. I also brushed on melted butter and baked for another minute.” “Yummy,” says Vanessa Schroeder. “Way better than the frozen ones at the store. I’ve also tried putting some melted butter on after cooking with some Parmesan cheese and garlic and they are amazing. Going to try cinnamon next for the kids.” Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings 1 ¼ cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C), or more as needed 4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 5 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup white sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or more as needed ½ cup baking soda 4 cups hot water ¼ cup kosher salt, for topping Directions Pour 1 ¼ cups warm water into a medium bowl. Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Mix flour, ½ cup sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add yeast mixture and oil. Mix well and form into a dough. If mixture is dry, add one or two more tablespoons of water. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Knead dough until smooth, about 7 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets. Pour 4 cups hot water into a large bowl. Stir in baking soda until dissolved; set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Once all of the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda-hot water solution and place on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 8 minutes. Enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS I Made It Print 3,617 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 237 Calories 2g Fat 49g Carbs 6g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 237 % Daily Value * Total Fat 2g 2% Saturated Fat 0g 2% Sodium 4681mg 204% Total Carbohydrate 49g 18% Dietary Fiber 2g 6% Total Sugars 9g Protein 6g 12% Calcium 12mg 1% Iron 3mg 14% Potassium 84mg 2% * 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.