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
I made the Soft Pretzels, they always get tough after they cool down. How are you supposed to roll them out without overworking the dough? They are wonderful and tastes great until they sit for a while then they get tough.
Hi Carla! Have you been reheating them to eat the leftovers? We find they taste best warm – To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
This recipe was so easy and delicious. They came out perfect. First time ever making pretzels!
I love these!!!! So easy and delicious!
I just made this recipe with my two granddaughters . We where inspired after reading “Walter the Baker” by Eric Carle your recipe was terrific!
Hi I use so many of your recipes thought I should finally comment. So far I have used and save like 4 of your recipes. Your Bagel recipe is my weekly go to. Trying this one today with my pasta dinner. Thanks for such great recipes!
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes!
This recipe worked perfectly, I’ve made pretzels a few times and this was the best! I did it without a stand mixer, kneaded them until the dough passed the “window pane” test 😉 they turned out so nice and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Also made the kicked up cheese sauce, chefs kiss.
This is one of my favorite recipes to make for gatherings. I have a vegan friend and would like to try to make this dairy free – could I replace the butter with oil?
Hi Joya, We haven’t tested it, but you could try try melted coconut oil or other oil instead. The flavor will be different!
These were so incredibly easy and delicious. I did 6 with salt and 6 cinnamon sugar. My 3 year old loved helping me roll the dough out too. Bonus win!
Hi Sally! Loved the recipe. Wish mine came out a bit darker brown and crispier on the outside – any tips?
Hi Michael! A few more minutes in the oven may help achieve a darker brown next time.
These turned out perfectly! My friend asked for something savoury for her birthday celebration and I’m so happy to have found this recipe.
The pretzels are really good! I wanted to try these in the bread maker to simplify, but the dough turned out pretty sticky and I had to add more flour and knead the dough still after the dough went through the bread maker. Any recommendations for using a bread maker/ is it just not the best route for this recipe?
Hi Corinne! We don’t recommend using a bread maker for this recipe. It’s very simple to do without one!
These pretzels are fantastic! I’ve been intimidated by the idea of making pretzels at home for a while (esp the lye bath) but this recipe was easy to follow step by step and resulted in absolutely gorgeous pretzels! The detailed instructions and video were very helpful.
These were so good!! My first time ever making pretzels. I made them for a game day appetizer and my family devoured them. I stored the leftover ones in a plastic bag – and the next day they were a little ‘wrinkly’- is there a way to avoid that or does that just happen (they still tasted good).
Hi Nicole, that can be completely normal due to moisture in the bag. For next time, you can leave the bag open just a crack to allow air flow, and that should help. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Sally! If I’m planning on making them and traveling with them, what’s the best way to store when in transit? Should I go with a brown paper bag a la bagels?
Hi Christina, a paper or plastic bag or even a plastic or glass container with a lid will work well.
Hello! I was just about to make my first batch, but then I realised I was out of butter. Do you think I could use oil as a substitute instead?
Hi Natalie, you could try try melted coconut oil or other oil instead. The flavor will be different!
How do I keep the dough in the correct form? I stretch them out but they immediately scrunch back.
Hi April, the gluten in the dough just needs some time to relax. When this happens to me (it often does), just lightly cover the dough and dough rope you’re working on, let it rest for 5 minutes and then try again. It will be stretchier after a brief rest.
In my household my teens are learning to cook and bake. They know we always can count on Sally’s recipes to be on point every time! This recipe is no different. About to make them for the second time this week. So easy and delicious!
I’ve made tnis so many times and shared your link with sooooo many…thank you!!!
I moved to Japan last year, and have been craving soft pretzels. One of the teachers I work with was asking what a pretzel is because they do not have them here. I made these pretzels to share with my coworkers, and everyone loved them. The recipe was simple, which made baking in my zero counter space kitchen fairly easy. Ovens in Japan are tiny convection ovens, so the only thing I did differently was make them smaller so I could bake 4 at a time, and only baked for 10 min. It made about 13 at a little bigger than my palm.
Thank you for helping me share pretzels with my coworkers in Japan
First pretzel recipe I have ever used and it’s so easy and delicious! Just wish it made more. It makes about 8 when I make them ( theyre difficult for me to roll out)
Hi, I will bake this recipe this week, and I want to make it a bit more varied. What will happen if I add crushed macadamia or almond nuts to the dough?
Hi Melin, we haven’t tried adding nuts directly to this dough, but you could try following the recipe notes for cinnamon sugar pretzels and adding some nuts to that mixture and sprinkling on the top. Let us know what you try!
Beautiful and simple recipe!
Is it ok to use regular salt
Hi Mari, you can, but we prefer coarse salt here.
I have e tried a lot of Pretzels recipes and this is the best I have ever made. Thanks for sharing.
Sally, I just pulled the first batch out of the oven and,…they are gone. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I love all of your recipes! This one is so easy and delicious, thank you for sharing. The question I have is what is the best way you find to warm them up ?
Hi Ginny, To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
How can I turn this recipe into a pizza pretzel? Do I have to boil it? If so, afterwards, do I brush on tomato sauce and sprinkle cheese?
Hi Diana, you can add those toppings after boiling but before baking. See our pretzel knots
and jalapeno pretzels for more details on topping pretzels. Enjoy!
Hello! What is the sauce you’re dipping into? Is it mustard based? Do you have a recipe for that, too. I’m about to make my first batch….
Hi Edward, that is our spicy nacho cheese sauce. We also have this beer cheese dip that is wonderful with soft pretzels. We hope you enjoy them!
Just tried, did half amount as just wanted to try out, with cheapest ingredients etc – PERFECTION!! Wish I could share a pic!
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Loved the recipe! Really impressed with how well they turned out. We had great fun getting the shape right. We will definitely be making these again.