Making Soft Pretzels From Scratch
Soft pretzels!! They bring out the German in all of us. And what goes better with German beer than a soft pretzel? Although salt is the most common seasoning for soft pretzels, we encourage you to get creative with your seasonings and toppings. Savory or sweet, there really isn’t anything you can’t do with a good pretzel. Dip them in chocolate, sprinkle them with superfoods and nuts, or stick to a traditional side of mustard – this is the recipe to start your pretzel adventure with.
This is one of those foods that once you’ve made them at home, you will not want to buy pretzels at the grocery store or the local bodega ever again. This soft pretzel recipe is simple to bang out and a fun project for cold winter days when you want to warm up the house with yummy home cooking.
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- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose White Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
- 7/8 - 1 cup Warm Water
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 2 tbsp Baking Soda
- Coarse Salt Kosher or Pretzel (Optional)
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter Melted
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
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- To make dough by hand, or with a mixer: Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat until well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it's soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough and place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the topping: Combine the boiling water and baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally (or almost totally) dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm (or cooler).
- Preheat your oven to 475 F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable oil spray, or lining it with parchment paper.
- Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour the baking soda/water into a 9" pan.
- Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 30" long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Working with 4 pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. This baking soda "bath" will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.
- Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt, if desired. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes until they're golden brown.
- Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all.
ITEMS WE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
