Best Homemade Soft Pretzels
These homemade soft pretzels deliver the chewy interior and golden crust you expect from classic street-style pretzels.
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These homemade soft pretzels are golden brown on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and finished with coarse salt for that classic pretzel flavor. Made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients, this recipe walks you through each step so you can confidently make bakery-style soft pretzels at home. Serve them warm with dipping sauces like beer cheese fondue or honey mustard, and round out your snack spread with recipes like nacho cheese sauce or herb buttermilk ranch. If you’re planning a little get-together, serve it with creamy spinach artichoke dip or garlic butter tomato cheese bread to round things out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic soft pretzel texture. Chewy centers with a deep golden crust.
- Step-by-step friendly. Clear instructions make shaping and boiling approachable.
- Great for dipping. Perfect with mustard, cheese sauces, or sweet toppings.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Yeast – The yeast is first bloomed in warm water (105ºF – 110ºF/ 40ºC – 43ºC). Yeast will begin to die off at 120ºF (49ºC). Check your yeast before cooking! Yeast can expire, and if you buy a jar it’s best stored at a cooler temperature in the refrigerator.
- Sugar – Sugar adds flavor to the pretzel dough.
- Flour – The basic ratio of liquid to flour for pretzel dough is about 1-3 (liquid to flour).
- Baking soda – Baking soda is added to boiling water to boost the alkalinity and give pretzels a distinct flavor, color and texture. The ratio should be about ½ cup (100g) baking soda to 2 quarts (1.9L) water.
- Egg wash – The pretzels are brushed with a combination of beaten egg and water to promote the browning process as the pretzels bake. It also gives them a shiny exterior and helps the salt to adhere. I tested the recipe with melted butter as well but preferred the egg wash.
- Salt – While coarse kosher salt will work, I recommend ordering food-grade coarse salt for the exact salt you find on soft pretzels like those sold by street vendors.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Don’t skip the baking soda water bath. Boiling the pretzels briefly before baking is what gives them their signature chewy texture, deep color, and classic pretzel flavor.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best, but bread flour can be used for an even chewier texture.
- Salt topping: Use food-grade pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt.
- Sweet dessert version: Skip the salt and coat baked pretzels in cinnamon sugar.
How to Make The Best Homemade Soft Pretzels (Step-by-Step)
In a small bowl, stir together the 1 cup (240g) of warm water (between 105ºF – 110ºF/ 40ºC – 43ºC) and yeast. Let the mixture sit so the yeast can bloom for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, kosher salt and yeast mixture. Mix the dough on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it’s soft and smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Lightly grease a large mixing bowl and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (At this point dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (each should weigh about 85g).
Working one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough out into a 20” (50cm) long rope. If the dough begins to shrink back, set it aside, work on another piece and return to it in a few minutes to let it rest.
Form a U-shape with the ends facing you. Cross over both ends, then cross over once more. Pull the ends down over the bottom of the U into a pretzel shape. See more detailed step-by-step photos below.
Repeat with remaining dough and arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 450ºF (230ºC) with a rack set in the upper third of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, add the baking soda and stir to dissolve. Working 2 pretzels at a time, use a slotted spoon or spatula and lower the pretzels into the water bath. Boil for about 20 to 30 seconds then move to a baking sheet.
In a small bowl whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water (15g). Brush the boiled pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until deep brown in color, about 14 to 16 minutes.
Let cool on a rack. Serve the pretzels warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
How To Shape A Soft Pretzel
Use the following visuals to easily twist the best classic pretzels:
How to Serve Soft Pretzels
- Mustard – Either yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard is a classic (and easy) dipping sauce for pretzels.
- Beer cheese fondue – A personal favorite pairing of mine, this cheddar fondue is seasoned with a combination of pilsner beer and Worcestershire. Beer cheese is the perfect comforting dip for homemade soft pretzels.
- Honey mustard – Make this tangy Chick-fil-A copycat honey mustard dipping sauce for your pretzels. It’s a combination of mayo, honey, BBQ sauce, mustard and lemon juice.
- Nacho cheese – I recommend using my homemade nacho cheese recipe found here. It’s a mornay sauce made with a combination of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
- Romesco – This dip made from roasted red peppers, almonds and olive oil is an unconventional dip for pretzels but a delicious one.
- Herb buttermilk ranch – In my opinion there isn’t much that ranch doesn’t pair well with!
How to Store Soft Pretzels
- Freeze: Freeze baked pretzels in resealable bags for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Wrap frozen pretzels in foil and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for about 8 minutes.
- Best fresh: Pretzels are best the day they’re baked.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Do homemade soft pretzels need to be boiled?
Yes. Boiling pretzels in a baking soda bath before baking gives them their chewy texture, distinct flavor, and golden brown exterior.
Can soft pretzel dough be made ahead of time?
Yes. After the first rise, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before shaping and baking.
Why is my pretzel dough shrinking while rolling?
If the dough keeps shrinking, let it rest for a few minutes to relax the gluten, then continue rolling.
Can homemade soft pretzels be frozen?
Absolutely. Bake the pretzels first, let them cool, then freeze. Reheat directly from frozen for best results.
What’s the best salt for soft pretzels?
Food-grade coarse pretzel salt gives the most authentic texture and flavor, but coarse kosher salt works well too.
Other Recipes to Try
Enjoyed this game day favorite? Don’t forget to try these delicious recipes below for your next party!
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you.
Best Homemade Soft Pretzels
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Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 large egg
- Coarse pretzel salt or additional coarse kosher salt, for garnishing
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 cup (240g) of warm water (between 105ºF – 110ºF/ 40ºC – 43ºC) and yeast. Let the mixture sit so the yeast can bloom for 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, kosher salt and yeast mixture. Mix the dough on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it’s soft and smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Lightly grease a large mixing bowl and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (At this point dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (each should weigh about 85g).
- Working one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough out into a 20” (50cm) long rope. If the dough begins to shrink back, set it aside, work on another piece and return to it in a few minutes to let it rest.
- Form a U-shape with the ends facing you. Cross over both ends, then cross over once more. Pull the ends down over the bottom of the U into a pretzel shape.
- Repeat with remaining dough and arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 450ºF (230ºC) with a rack set in the upper third of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, add the baking soda and stir to dissolve. Working 2 pretzels at a time, use a slotted spoon or spatula and lower the pretzels into the water bath. Boil for about 20 to 30 seconds then move to a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water (15g). Brush the boiled pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until deep brown in color, about 14 to 16 minutes.
- Let cool on a rack. Serve the pretzels warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes:
Don’t skip the baking soda water bath. Boiling the pretzels briefly before baking is what gives them their signature chewy texture, deep color, and classic pretzel flavor.
Nutrition:
Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 2355mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg
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