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
First time making pretzel. I was skeptical when the recipe request for rest time of about 10min, because i saw other recipe ask for at least an hour. But it turns out great. I made the dough and get the kids to shape it. It was fun time. And the pretzel is soft and yummy.
Who knew pretzels were so simple! I’m proud this was my first time making a recipe with yeast and I can’t wait to try more of yours. Great recipe, thank you to you and your family for sharing it!
Thank you for this recipe! It was easy to follow and the pictures were super helpful for our family fun. We worked together while under quarantine to do this as a fun afternoon activity! Huge success and delicious treat! We were all new to using yeast and pretzels.
I made this yesterday with Easter dinner – OMG!! So amazing!! I even used yeast that expired 8 months ago because I can’t find any in the stores (went to three!!) Thank God these turned out perfectly.
These were very tasty and easy. Will definitely make again!
Made these using bob’s red mill gluten free 1:1 flour, they were very hard to shape, ended up just making pretzel twists, but they taste amazing!
This recipe is awesome! My kids loved making the “snakes” and forming them into pretzels. I had never made soft pretzels before, but this made it super easy, and the end result was delicious. I sprinkled half with coarse sea salt before baking, and when the other half came out I brushed them with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Can’t wait to make it again soon.
Made these but I made them into pretzel bites! My kids love them! It made about 30 to 40 bites with half the dough! Saving the other half to do cinnamon/ sugar pretzels for dessert tonight with an icing glaze dip sauce 🙂
Really good and fairly easy recipe to make.
We definitely found it too salty and had to take off the coarse salt we had put on top (and I just realize now that it’s probably because of the salted butter we used…).
It was also a bit hard to make the ropes long enough as the dough was elastic and it kept coming back like it was before.
After making 8 pretzels, we decided it was easier to make balls for the rest of the dough (25 balls in total).
Thank you for this simple recipe and a must during quarantine!
Making these for the second time this week with my daughter. Such a fun, easy recipe and perfect for our quarantine cooking class! Going to try your spicy nacho sauce next!
~ we did try the boiling vs. non- boiling method, and boiling was definitely our favorite ~
So easy, so tasteful, so quick! I shaped them into 12 bread rolls instead of pretzels and cooked them for almost 20 min. We loved them, and I’ll be doing another batch pretty soon. Thanks
I’m a newbie to yeast breads- always afraid of killing it. Made these, very tasty, nom. Only issue I had was rolling them out. I’d roll and roll and “sproing” the dough would snap back. I did add extra flour…let me say, they are great pretzel buns! Love your site!
Have you used this same recipe to make savory pretzels such as jalapeño cheddar or garlic parmesan?
Absolutely! Feel free to mix your favorite add-ins into the dough or use as a topping.
This is a great recipe, I’ve made it quite a few times now.
We have it as starter at a BBQ or a light lunch with cheeses & dips.
They are always well received.
Only change I made was I brush on a whisked egg, I get that great brown look.
I have wanted to try and make soft pretzels for years and these were so easy! Turned out beautifully ^_^
They turned out ok, I found them a little too soft, Kind of gummy. Maybe overworked the dough (or underworked it?)
I’m not sure. And your tip about them sticking to parchment is correct. I’ve never had something stick to parchment but these do! I got them off however. Family enjoyed them I just wanted them a little softer.
These are great!!! I’ve made them 3 times and turned out very good every time. I also made Sally’s quick cinnamon rolls. Big hit with my grand kids and easy to make.
This recipe is INCREDIBLE!! Honestly, they cooked beautifully and the colour is gorgeous! My family was so impressed and they were finished off in minutes. 10/10 will definitely make again!
Shane from New Zealand … Discovered this website and your pretzel variations … Thanks so much. Good to find new recipes to try while in lockdown. Easy to make and great outcome. I sprayed water on about 5 minutes from the end like I do for bread to get the crusts slightly crispier. Stay safe everyone.
Thanks so much. I realized that my old cuisianart has a dough blade and my hand mixer also has attachments for dough. I rarely bake, I much prefer cooking, but this gives my 14 year old daughter and me a project for today. Hope everyone is staying safe.
Is it possible to make these without a mixer? Of course mine broke RIGHT NOW, so I am left to my own devices. Thoughts?
Hi Renee! You can mix the dough by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula then knead it with your hands as directed.
SO happy with discovering you by scrolling through a search for pretzels- first try was perfect!
You are amazing- God bless your work! ♥️
Is there any way to sub instant yeast for active dry yeast in this recipe? It’s all I can find in stores right now and we want to make these badly!
No changes necessary if using active dry yeast, but feel free to let the dough rest for closer to 20-30 minutes instead of 10. (Though, honestly, I’ve never noticed a difference in the pretzels.)
Sally, I just discovered your website this morning and already making your pretzels. The video and recipe was very approachable for a beginner like myself. Turned out great….though rolling the dough into thin ropes took a lot of trial and error.
Fantastic recipe! My German family and guests loved it! Thank you x
We tried this. Pulling the pretzels out of the boiling water they broke apart almost every time. ☹️
Is there a way to make these without yeast (or do you know of a recipe without yeast?). Because of the pandemic I cannot find yeast anywhere!!!
Hi Meghan, unfortunately not. You may need to look for a yeast-free pretzel recipe.
Can I make these without the butter and brown sugar? I’d like more of a ball park pretzel less of an Auntie Ann.
Yes you can, Chris.
I first made these yesterday as a treat for one of my sons who is a picky eater. He took one bite got a huge smile on his face and said “you should make these again Mom!” I made another batch today! Wonderful flavor, and an easy recipe to make with younger kids and early cooks. Thank you so much for sharing❤️
Can I use this easier recipe for PRETZEL BITES?
Hi Cheryl! Here are my full instructions for soft pretzel bites. I make them all the time!
Loved making these for my husband . Great with maryland crab dip warm!!!