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Perfect for dipping and sharing, this fluffy easy homemade soft pretzel recipe is SO easy to make at home and delicious, too!
Try these buttery soft pretzels with your favorite cheese dip, and you will want to make them again and again. The best part is, making soft pretzels really is so simple!
Buttery homemade soft pretzels are one of those special treats you usually only get at the mall or maybe the fair, but did you know making soft pretzels at home is actually easy? It's true!
This is the best soft pretzel recipe because it has all the salty goodness you want in a pretzel, but with a little bit of sugar in the dough to give it just the right balance of flavor.
Homemade soft pretzels are also one of the best recipes to make with kids! They love seeing how the dough rises and rolling it into ropes. It's a chance for kids to make their own special pretzel—there's certainly no two alike!
Homemade Soft Pretzel Ingredients
Buttery soft pretzels use just a shortlist of easy ingredients to make, and the results are delicious! For this easy soft pretzel recipe, you'll need the following simple ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 4.5 tsp. active dry yeast (same as two ¼ oz packages)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ stick butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- ½ Tbsp. vegetable oil
- ½ cup baking soda
- 9 cups hot water
- 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp. water, beaten together
- kosher salt
How do you make soft pretzels?
Making soft pretzels is so much easier than you might think! Here are our instructions for making homemade soft pretzels:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare warm water and add yeast packets. Whisk and then let sit while you gather the next ingredients.
- Whisk in salt, sugar, and butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until thickened. Add ½ cup more flour (or a little more if needed) until the pretzel dough is no longer sticky. You want to be able to press the pretzel dough and have it come back up.
- Flour a surface, add the pretzel dough and knead for 3 minutes. Coat another bowl with vegetable oil. Add pretzel dough, cover lightly, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Start boiling 9 cups of water with the baking soda in a large pot.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut dough into 8 equal sections.
- Roll the dough into at least a 16-inch rope, but roll it longer if you can. Bring up the ends and then curve down into the middle to create a pretzel shape. Twist a couple of times, and lightly press the ends down to stick together to hold it all in place.
- Add pretzels one by one to boiling water for 25 seconds. Carefully lift pretzels out with a metal spoon, shake the water off gently, and place on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Brush each pretzel with egg wash* and top generously with kosher salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove and serve warm.
What is Egg Wash?
Egg wash is a simple mixture of water and egg. In this case, we use 1 Tbsp. of water and an egg yolk to make an egg wash. It is then brushed over the dough or pastry to give it a beautiful golden glaze when baked.
How to Reheat Soft Pretzels
The best method for reheating homemade soft pretzels is in the oven. Preheat to 350° and place pretzels on a baking sheet, and heat for 5 minutes.
Another good method for heating an individual pretzel is to wrap it in foil and then heat it in the oven for about 3 minutes.
Microwave option: You can place your unwrapped pretzels in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Check the pretzels after 10 seconds and repeat if needed.
Cheese Dip for Soft Pretzels
One of the most delectable dips for soft pretzels is cheese dip, and we have a wonderful Oktoberfest-inspired soft pretzel dip for you!
It's made from ripe Camembert, spreadable cheese, butter, spices like paprika and caraway seeds, and onion.
Try our German Beer Cheese Dip (Obatzda) with these pretzels—this strong and flavorful dip is the perfect complement to our billowy and slightly sweet homemade soft pretzel recipe!
German soft pretzels are often served on a tray with sliced meats and a bowl of beer cheese spread, which is the perfect football food or party food!
You could also try these delectable buttery soft pretzels with Chorizo Cheese Dip with Spinach, or even Pepperoni Pizza Dip. Just about any cheese dip recipe goes well with these homemade soft pretzels!
How long do soft pretzels last?
Like most bread recipes, pretzels are best eaten right after they're baked. However, you can store them for a couple of days in a porous container like a paper bag.
This will keep them softer longer. Reheat them according to the instructions found above.
Can you freeze soft pretzels?
Soft pretzels can be frozen, but it's best to do it right after you bake them when they're done cooling off.
Just put them in an airtight container and you will have pretzels to enjoy at your convenience! Simply thaw and follow the methods above for reheating.
Homemade soft pretzels are a tasty treat that is so simple to make at home. Your family is going to love these, and will ask for them over and over!
Game Day Food and Party Appetizers
These pretzels are one of my favorite football foods - get more Super Bowl Food Ideas!
- Cheeseburger Sliders with Bacon
- Baked Buffalo Wings (with Homemade Buffalo Sauce and Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing)
- Baked Crispy Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
Please let us know if you have tried or plan to try our easy soft pretzel recipe in the comments below and with a rating! We love to hear from you.
Soft Pretzel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 4.5 teaspoons active dry yeast - (same as two ¼ oz packages)
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ stick butter - (melted)
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup baking soda
- 9 cups hot water
- 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water - beaten together
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare warm water and add yeast packets. Whisk and then let sit while you gather next ingredients.
- Whisk in salt, sugar, and butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until thickened. Add ½ cup more flour (or a little more if needed) until the dough is no longer sticky. You want to be able to press the dough and have it come back up.
- Flour a surface, add the dough, and knead for 3 minutes. Coat another bowl with vegetable oil. Add dough, cover lightly, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Start boiling 9 cups of water with the baking soda in a large pot.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut dough into 8 equal sections.
- Roll the dough into at least a 16-inch rope but longer if you can. Bring up the ends and then curve down into the middle to create a pretzel shape. Twist a couple of times and lightly press the ends down to stick to the other dough to hold it all in place.
- Add pretzels one by one to boiling water for 25 seconds. Carefully lift pretzels out with a metal spoon, shake the water off gently and place on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Brush each pretzel with egg wash and top generously with kosher salt.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove and serve warm.
Notes
- German soft pretzels are often served on a tray with sliced meats and a bowl of beer cheese spread, which is the perfect game day appetizer or party food! Try these with beer cheese dip- you will love the combination.
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