Soft Pretzels
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 min
Ingredients
Dough
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1½ cups (360 ml) warm water (about 100–105°F)
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2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast
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1 Tablespoon brown sugar
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1½ teaspoons kosher salt
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3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
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4–4¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
(optional: replace 1 cup with bread flour for extra chew)
Baking Soda Bath
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10 cups water
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⅔ cup baking soda
Topping
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1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
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Coarse pretzel salt or flakey salt
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Melted butter, for brushing after baking (optional)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and brown sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. I noticed that 110 degrees F is the best temperature of water to activate yeast, as too hot will kill the yeast and too cool won’t activate it.
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Add salt and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms.
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Knead by hand or mixer for 5–7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky (not sticky). Add more flour as needed.
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Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
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Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a 20–22 inch rope and shape into pretzels.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and rest 10 minutes. -
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
Bring 10 cups water to a boil, then carefully add baking soda. -
Boil pretzels 20–30 seconds each, gently flipping once. Remove with a slotted spatula and return to baking sheet.
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Brush each pretzel with egg yolk wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
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Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.
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Brush with melted butter immediately after baking, if desired. Serve warm.
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