This is one of the easiest ways to prepare homemade soft pretzels and the results are extra delicious. The soft pretzel dough only needs to rest for 10 minutes before shaping. The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor. Make sure you watch the video for how to shape pretzels!
Homemade soft pretzels are nothing new around here because this recipe has been a reader favorite for years. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101 (which has become a New York Times Best Seller!).
The dough requires just 6 ingredients and there’s hardly any rise time, so not only are these easy, they’re pretty quick too. In fact, I remember feeling pleasantly surprised at the ease and speed the first time I made them—it took us only 30 minutes to make 1 batch!
Over the years, I’ve added a smidge of melted butter to the dough for improved flavor. Furthermore, we’ve introduced the baking soda bath. While it sounds strange, this step is what gives pretzels that iconic flavor, chewy texture, helps deepen their golden color in the oven, and locks in the super soft interior. If you get the water boiling ahead of time, it really only adds 5 minutes to the entire process.
We’ve also made them soft pretzel bites, soft pretzel knots (with various toppings), jalapeño cheddar pretzels, and soft pretzel rolls from this simple dough. There’s no wrong way to shape a pretzel, but let’s stick with the classic today. I promise you’ll no longer feel intimidated working with yeast, shaping pretzels, or the baking soda bath.
Even if you have zero skill in the kitchen, you can make these homemade soft pretzels.
Step-by-Step Photos
Let’s chat about the dough. You need the simplest, most basic ingredients possible and I bet each one is in your kitchen right now. Warm water, 1 packet of yeast, brown or regular granulated sugar, melted butter, salt, and flour.
Mix the yeast and sugar in the warm water, let it sit for a minute, then whisk in the butter and salt, then add the flour. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment a big bowl and wooden spoon. Work with what you have in the kitchen. And if you need extra help with kneading, see my full How to Knead Dough video tutorial.
You don’t have to wait to let this dough rise for an extended period of time. Just 10 to 30 minutes does the trick. Don’t have a lot of time on your hands? This recipe is for you. If, however, you want to extend the rise time, you certainly could. Doughs that leave time for bulk fermentation (when the dough rises before shaping), typically have a more enhanced, developed flavor. In fact, some pretzel recipes require an overnight rise in the refrigerator. If you have the time for that, do it! However, I find a brief rise suitable for today’s pretzels, especially if I’m making them with younger bakers.
How to Shape Homemade Soft Pretzels
Now it’s time to shape.
Roll about 1/3 cup (75g) of dough into a long 20- to 22-inch rope.
Twist the ends and bring the ends down. That’s a pretzel!
Now drop the pretzels into the boiling water + baking soda. Let them boil for 20–30 seconds each, then place onto a baking sheet. This pretzel dough makes 12 regular-size soft pretzels, so I use 2 baking sheets. 6 on each.
Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake in a hot oven. That’s it, you’re done.
Make-Ahead Tip
If you are making pretzels in advance, do not top them with coarse salt before baking. The salt draws the moisture out of the pretzels, and once you’ve placed the baked and cooled pretzels in an airtight container or bag, it doesn’t take long before you’ll notice water droplets forming inside and the pretzels become soggy and wrinkled. Yuck!
If you won’t be serving the pretzels the same day you bake them, omit the salt-topping step. Bake as directed, then allow to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container, and store at room temperature. When you are ready to serve them, place the pretzels on a baking sheet and brush them lightly with water, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake them in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5–10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Same goes for freezing homemade soft pretzels: wait to top with salt until you’re ready to serve them. Cool the unsalted baked pretzels completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush frozen pretzels (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
And if you want to kick your soft pretzel status into major high gear, add some spicy nacho cheese sauce.
Print
Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 pretzels
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is one of the easiest ways to prepare homemade soft pretzels for beginners, and the results are extra delicious! The dough is a family recipe and only needs to rest for 10 to 30 minutes before shaping. The quick baking soda boil gives the pretzels their traditional flavor, and I do not recommend skipping it. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (around 100°F/38°C)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 and 3/4–4 cups (469–500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- coarse salt, for topping
Baking Soda Bath (See Recipe Note)
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 9 cups (2.13L) water
Instructions
- Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water. Cover and allow to sit for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the melted butter and salt. Add 3 cups (375g) of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer) until combined. Add 3/4 cup (94g) more flour until the dough is slightly tacky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more (31g) flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 to 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 to 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 8.)
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
- With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 75g sections, which is about 1/3 cup of dough each.
- Roll the dough into a 20–22-inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the 2 ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
- Bring 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. Any longer than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, cover the boiled, unbaked pretzels with lightly oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking (step 9).
- Sprinkle the tops of the pretzels with coarse salt. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until dark golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and, if desired, serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce.
- Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. See Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions in recipe Notes below for more storage info. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: If planning to freeze fully baked pretzels, do not top them with coarse salt before baking. Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, brush frozen pretzels (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or until warmed through, or microwave frozen pretzels until warm. The prepared pretzel dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2–3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time, about 1 hour, for the pretzels to puff up at room temperature before continuing with the baking soda bath and baking. You can also freeze the boiled, unbaked pretzels and here’s how: after boiling the pretzels in step 8, place them on a lightly greased parchment paper- or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Freeze the pretzels for about 1 hour, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or zip-top bag (squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing) and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, brush frozen pretzels (no need to thaw) with water and sprinkle with coarse salt, then bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15–20 minutes or until dark golden brown.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl | Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Pizza Cutter | Large Pot (such as a Dutch oven)
- Baking Soda Bath (Step 8): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk. This is known as an egg wash. Sprinkle the brushed pretzels with salt. The egg wash will help the salt stick. If you don’t have an egg, simply brush with 2 Tablespoons of dairy or nondairy milk.
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: Skip the coarse salt topping (and skip the egg wash, see note above, if you aren’t doing the baking soda bath step). Bake as directed in step 9. Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons (56g) of unsalted or salted butter. Brush the baked and warm pretzels with melted butter, then dip the tops into a mix of cinnamon and sugar. I usually use 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cinnamon-sugar pretzels taste best the day they’re made because the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a few hours.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is the easiest and most wonderful recipe to have in your recipe book for life!!!! QUICK QUESTION….is there a substitute for using butter? For example could I use olive oil ? Will it not bake correctly? Just wondering. You are the best thx
Hi Willy, we’re so glad you hear you love this recipe! We haven’t tested it, but you could try try melted coconut oil or other oil instead. The flavor will be different!
I have made these several times and they always seem to come out a lovely golden brown on the outside yet a bit under-baked on the inside. Would altitude have any effect on these or does the baker need adjustment? Im at 4000 foot above sea level. My oven is pretty new and unless Im missing a crucial item they should work. What am I missing.
Hi Eric, the altitude could definitely be contributing here. We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html You could also try slightly extending the bake time a bit to ensure the insides are fully cooked through. Keep a close eye on them, though, so that the outsides do not become over baked. Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
W.O.W. I just whipped up a *test* batch of these to see if they would past muster for our Oktoberfest party. There are no words. So incredibly tasty, fresh, easy, fast. Literally the best soft pretzel I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to bedazzle our guests with these. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Delicious and easy! I used tinfoil instead of parchment paper. It worked fine, but DO be sure to grease it first!
I love this recipe! Pro tip: these taste fantastic with everything but the bagel seasoning!!!
Thank you for such a great recipe.
Simple, straight forward, easy recipe to master in one try. I made them for Octoberfest at work. Residents and staff loved them….color, taste and texture. I’ll never order frozen pretzels again!
This recipe is so fast and easy, whipped out 6 (six!) dozen in only a couple of hours. Make these every fall for our friends Oktoberfest party, they’re always a hit and disappear fast
I have been looking for a homemade pretzel dough because I want to fill it with Philly cheesesteak before rolling. Do you think this would work well?
Hi Tiffany, We haven’t tried it as a cheesestake, but you can see how we use this dough to make cheese filled soft pretzels. You could also use these pretzel buns as the roll.
Super Easy!!! I have never made pretzels before and i was able to make them no problem! They are super tasty!!
These are fantastic! I am so grateful I discovered your amazing recipes, thank you for all your time and effort spent developing such deliciousness!
These were good except I would like to warn people to add the baking soda to the water BEFORE it starts boiling. If not it will vigorously boil over.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Instead of doing the normal pretzel shape, I actually formed the dough into little cat-shaped buns. I assumed a soft pretzel recipe would keep the cat shape better that a dinner roll recipe. I also added a little melted butter on top, and unfortunately, they didn’t last an hour in my house. Gone. I’m definitely saving this recipe!
Great recipe. So simple with big results. Love them.
I’m using this recipe for a high school baking course and we have limited time. Could the students leave their dough to rest in the fridge overnight and shape and bake the next day?
Hi Darla, You can refrigerate the dough overnight. Enjoy!
Last time we made these we only did them in the baking soda for less than 10 seconds and they had a metallic taste. We did the right about of baking soda and everything, we are making another batch now without the baking soda bath. Hopefully it turns out ok.
Awesome recipe. Made these around 11 this morning. Just went to get one before bed and the bowl. Is. Empty. Guess I’ll make some more next weekend!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Best Pretzel recipe out there!!
I have made this recipe a few time and I’ve made a few tweaks for our personal preferences.
When boiling the pretzels, only use half the amount of baking soda. Also, don’t wait the 20-30 seconds until you pull them out of the water, simply pull them out once they float to the top.
Also, right before I put them in the oven I brush melted butter on top of them. We like the texture it gives them!
Even if I didn’t use these tweaks, this is still the most amazing recipe out there!! We just adjusted it to our family, but either way it’s absolutely amazing!!
Very good , but go easy with the sea salt. Also would like them a little fatter. So instead of 12 I would make 9.
Thank you for an easy to follow recipe. Plus the bonus of showing how simple it is to shape the pretzel.
They were really good.
Would this recipe work to make smaller pretzel bites?
Yes! Here’s our pretzel bite recipe using the same dough.
Made these last night. I used bread flour instead of all purpose. Turned out great.
Oooh thanks, Justin! I was just scanning the comments to see if I could use bread flour instead of all purpose.
I too was seeking comments to see if I could use bread flour. TY Justin
Very good!!! Recommend doing the baking soda bath
I made these today and they are so delicious. Totally reminded me of the ones in the mall. My husband has ate 2 in the last ten minutes and he’s not a salt fan but he’s loving these. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is a keeper for us!
Came across this recipe, trying out new things for the family. First it was easy to get all the ingredients from the kitchen, second making it was a breeze ( almost fail proof) third could not get it to roll in to ropes but make stick instead, boiled and 15 minutes they were Done!
The smell was great, color was amazing then taste was that rich pretzel taste like you get from mall or fair, texture was soft inside and chewy out! This was totally amazing on first try! Family loved it and wants more!!! Thank you for sharing
I can’t believe that these turned out so well- dough and I don’t always get along. Followed each step carefully and didn’t take that long- under an hour and delicious pretzels
I’m an expat and where I live now has no pretzel culture. My favourite part of flying anywhere is connecting through Germany so I can get soft pretzels, I’ll often buy a half dozen in the airport to take with me. I stumbled upon your website and this recipe while looking for bagel recipes (also something I can’t find here) and while I didn’t have the ingredients for the bagels I did have everything for the pretzels. It took an hour to make from start to finish, I followed the recipe and method exactly and OH MY THESE ARE AMAZING. Absolutely incredible. Authentic flavour, chewy texture, just fantastic. Thank you for this, I am going to start working my way through more of your recipes!
I ended these in the air fryer instead of baking. 350° till golden brown ( roughly 7-8 minutes).
I LOVED THIS RECIPE SOOOOO MUCH
These are super-duper yummy! The family calls them their favorite pretzels ever (even over the kind you get in the mall or in airports). A question: how could I incorporate my sourdough starter into this recipe to give it that tangy kick? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I would try myself but I’m fearful of wasting a delicious batch of pretzel dough due to experimentation. Thanks!
We’ve never tried this recipe with a sourdough starter but please let us know how it goes if you do!
I add my starter to any bread I make by measuring out my discard then using it as a substitute for half its weight in water and flour. Adds a little flavor and makes me feel less wasteful!
Can I fry my pretzels?