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
These pretzels were delicious and so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.
This is some amazing dough to work with!! Just lovely
The link to the 30 Minute Pretzels now points here instead. Can you please fix the link so I can access that pretzel recipe instead?
I made those and everyone I know loved them! I want to make those again before I try these.
https://route-span.live/30-minute-whole-wheat-pretzels/%3C/p%3E
Hi David, the recipes are the same except that recipe skipped the baking soda bath, and you can replace 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour.
SOO good
My pretzels did not turn out, and I followed everything, they smell misty, and they are still gooey after baking and very unappealing looking, please tell me what I did wrong
Hi Frankie, we’re so sorry to hear you had troubles with the pretzels. Did you make any ingredient substitutions or changes by chance? If they’re still gooey, it’s possible they’re just a bit undercooked and could benefit from a few additional minutes in the oven. Thank you for giving them a try!
Could this recipe still work without the pretzels being turned into a pretzel-like-shape? Does it still work the same if they were like sticks or bite sized pieces?
Hi Samantha! Absolutely. We use the same recipe for our soft pretzel bites.
Can you let the dough rest for more than 10 minutes?
Hi Linda, for a puffier pretzel, you can let the dough rest for longer than 10 minutes (perhaps up to 2 hours).
These were so easy, fast and straight forward! Me & my kids (10,7,4) made them together for breakfast! We did half butter/ flake salt & half brown sugar, cinnamon & butter. Highly recommend playing around with toppings! I also made a cashew cheese for dipping & pickled jalapeños! SO GOOD!
My pretzels had a strong metallic taste- I had to throw them all out. I made the dough again and added only 1 tbsp of baking soda but it still tasted like metal. Any suggestions? How can I fix this?
Hi Jessica! A metallic taste can be from old baking soda. Try again with fresh!
Excellent recipe. I have never made pretzels before and this recipe was easy to follow and made delicious pretzels! Hubby loved them. I will be gifting these for the holidays.
I like this recipe, but my pretzel shape was a little off
Question, it recommends an hour to let pretzels puff up after removing them from the refrigerator, but says that they can be shaped while cold. Is the time spent shaping them part of the recommended hour? Or is that intended for after they have already been shaped.
Hi Justin! It will be about an hour after shaping.
Quick question: I have a party around 7 but only have time to bake around 3ish. So they might be sitting around for about 2+ hours. I can reheat them when I’m there, but will the pretzels go stale or hard if they sit around for that long in room temp?
Hi Micah, that should be just fine. They lose a little softness over time, but shouldn’t that quickly. Hope they’re a hit!
Do you know how much you’d reduce the cook time if you were making smaller pretzels? Hoping to cut the size in half for a potluck, but not sure if the time would cut in half as well. Thanks!
Hi Meg! It will really depend on the size, so keep a close eye on them. You might enjoy these soft pretzel bites, too!
OMG they came out perfect! I was looking for a easy pretzel recipe and chose yours do to the short rise time and boy am I glad I did!
This is going to be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for sharing.
Good recipe, is it possible to brush with egg wash to add shine to pretzel I wonder.
Hi Svetlana, you could also add an egg wash in addition to the boiling step. See recipe Notes for details.
Simple ingredients, clear instructions and easy to understand with the video. Thank you Sally for a fantastic recipe!
One question — it appears that you do not flp the pretzels in the boiling baking soda bath. Is there a need to boil them on both sides? Thank you in advance.
Hi Richard, correct, we do not flip the pretzels in the baking soda bath. We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
I ADORE your recipes this one is no different. I did notice that when I dipped a few for 20/25 seconds it was a bit soft and slimey so I did it for around 15.
Thank you for sharing this I’m really excited to make them again!
Really good pretzels. the only reason i made these was because i was craving some pretzel. but when i made them I was amazed how good they are.
I make the pretzel bites all the time, my family loves them!! I am wondering if i could make these shaped pretzels like the kind you get in the mall that are dipped in butter? If so, how would I do this? Thank you, LOVE your recipes Sally!
I made these pretzels yesterday with my 4 year old and 15 month old granddaughters. We followed the recipe exactly and they came out fabulous!! We halved the recipe and made 6 pretzels. The girls helped to mix the dough and the older one rolled her piece into a snake. We each had a pretzel, including their parents and my husband. My son said “This is the best pretzel I ever had!” My daughter-in-law asked for the recipe. The girls couldn’t get enough of them and I will be making them again really soon. Thank you Sally for a terrific recipe!!
My son made these pretzels and OH MOY SWEET LORD, THEY WERE AMAZING!!!!!!! (not blowing smoke I swear!!) 5 OUT OF 5!!!!
Trying to make pretzel pizza. Any suggestions for using pretzel dough for pizza base?
Hi APril, that sounds delicious! You can try rolling this out into a large circle like pizza dough. And give it a quick baking soda boil, if you have a large enough pot. I’ve never made a pretzel pizza crust so I’m unsure how it will turn out.
I’ve started learning baking with this recipe I’ve done a few batches and I get better each time.?I want to try jalapeños cheddar pretzels next
I want to start off by saying the ones I made were edible because I don’t let anything go to waste. With that being said, I bake a pretty good bit, breads, sourdough, dinner rolls, foccacia, naan, etc but I had never done pretzels. But I take the blame (not your fault Sally lol) cause I messed up somewhere. I had no trouble with the shaping and rolling, the baking soda bath went smooth, I was just really proud of how they looked. I would like to add that I was a bit worried about my dough being sticky, so I did add some flour and don’t remember how much. I didn’t think I over did it or maybe I kneaded too much. I’m not sure. But mine also sank to the bottom in the bath. I read elsewhere they should float, but I don’t know cause this was my first time. Anyway, after baking the were somewhat tough and kinda dense. Kinda like that texture you get when a pound cake didn’t quite bake right. Almost a gumminess. Could someone tell me what I might have done wrong? I did half the recipe as well. So who knows. I’m definitely going to try again but was hoping for a more fluffier and soft pretzel. I messed up lol. HELP!
Easy and delicious. I’d always been intimidated by making pretzels at home, but this post gave me the confidence and I’m so glad I did it! This was a real family-pleaser too (though I totes made them for me )
Can you fridge the dough overnight and bake next day?
Hi Jerome! Yes, see recipe notes for Make-Ahead Instructions: The prepared pretzel dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
These were perfect, quick, and easy! Made these last minute for a little Oktoberfest dinner. I was so impressed! They looked amazing and tasted perfect. Do note (as mentioned in the recipe) to not leave them in the baking soda solution too long or they will taste metallic! I set a timer for 20 seconds for each pretzel (don’t rush), and the color and taste were perfect.
Great taste and you can make them any size…so much fun
Very good and simple to make. Any thoughts on utilizing sourdough starter discard to add that sourdough flavor?
Hi Jeff! We’ve never tried this recipe with a sourdough starter but please let us know how it goes if you do.
I’m a Philly girl and grew up loving soft pretzels! Now that I live in central Pennsylvania I can not find a good one. I just read the recipe and am out the door to get yeast. Can’t wait to try this.
Happy baking, Kathleen!