Make your own Soft Pretzels just like the ones you get at the mall. Sprinkled with sea salt – these pretzels are the perfect snack!
Ever since making these homemade soft pretzels on Saturday, I have been looking forward to Monday like I haven’t in a while. When a recipe turns out as well as this one did, I just can’t wait to tell you all about it. So yeah, we had a pretty amazing weekend, which was mainly due to the discovery how to make one of our favorite snacks. Devouring a pretzel or two has been a staple almost every time we visit our mall. Never did I think that the same soft pretzels could be duplicated in the comfort of our own home.
I also didn’t think that I could be any more in love with pretzels than I already was. It’s been a weekend of great revelations :). Let’s find out how to make these yummies!
I’ve actually had some experience working with pretzel dough when I made Pretzel Buns last year. To be honest, I was too intimidated to try making “real” pretzels, which is why I went for buns instead. Now that I know how easy it is to make these, I am sort of laughing at myself. Better late than never, right?
So, don’t be like me and let the yeast dough and twisting it into pretzel shapes scare you. You’ll probably end up enjoying the whole process and have even more fun eating them!
I adore pretzels in any shape or form, but these take first place without a doubt. I will definitely enjoy the perfect snack every day this week. Yippee!
Did I mention that I love what I do?? It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Literally.
See? You will be so glad you made these once you take your first bite.
Have a very Happy Monday!
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoon (2 packets) active dry yeast
- 6 tablespoons light-brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup baking soda
- 3 cups warm water
- coarse salt, to taste
- melted butter, optional
- 1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat milk in the microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until milk registers at 110 degrees F. Pour milk into the bowl of your electric stand mixer. Add yeast to the milk, give it a gentle stir and let sit for 10 minutes (until yeast starts to foam and becomes bubbly).
- 2. Whisk in brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup of flour and 2 teaspoons of salt and stir until combined. Switch to the dough hook and stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour. Dough should be elastic and start to pull away from sides. If dough is too sticky, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour. Remove bowl from stand mixer, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- 3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Cover remaining dough pieces with the kitchen towel (to keep the dough from drying out) while you start working on your first pretzel. On a non-floured surface, roll dough piece into a 34-inch long rope. Form into pretzel shape and repeat with remaining dough pieces.
- 4. Dissolve baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Fully immerse each pretzel in the baking soda solution and let excess water drip off. Place onto prepared baking sheet, reshape (if needed) and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. You should be able to fit 6 pretzels onto each baking sheet.
- 5. Place one sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, if desired. Repeat with remaining pretzel on the second baking sheet. Serve pretzels warm.
- Pretzels are best when served on the same day and can be reheated in the microwave. They will also freeze well in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
Those pretzels look seriously perfect! I want to dive into them right now!
Ha! I wish I could have shared them with you!!
You really can’t beat a good homemade soft pretzel! The color on yours turned out beautifully!
Thank you so much, Risa. I was really pleased with how they turned out. So thrilled you’ve stopped by today 🙂
Mmmmm, pretzels. I should really learn to make these. thanks for sharing your recipe!
These are a lot easier to make than you might think. You should definitely try it sometime. Thank you so much, Trisha!
Oh wow these look amazing! Such beautiful photos too! I think I only made homemade pretzels once in my life and that was a long time ago as a kid (and by make, I mean I watched my mom make them probably haha). I think this needs to happen again!
I totally agree, Chris. You should give it another go – I am sure they’ll bring back some childhood memories. Thank you so much for stopping by and saying hi!!
Wow! These pretzels look amazingly soft and oh-so-delicious. Waaaaaaay better than the kind at the mall–and I’m a big fan of those. 🙂 I have never made soft pretzels at home before, but I’m thinking that once I start, I won’t be able to stop, ha!
Yeah, I think I might have unlocked a dangerous recipe. These pretzels will most definitely be made over and over again. Hope you try ’em sometime. Your kiddos will love them too, I suspect. Thanks, dear!
Oh Kathi! These are the most beautiful pretzels I’ve ever seen! The “twist” is just perfect!
Thanks, Justine. What a sweet comment!
oooooh Michael would love these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sure he would, too!!
Would it make a big difference if I used 2% milk instead of whole?
No, 2% would be a great substitute. You should be able to use it without running into any problems. Let me know how they turn out if you give them a try. I’d really love to hear! Thanks for the great question, Natalie.
Who needs Auntie Annie? These are gorgeous! So golden brown and made with ingredients that everyone keeps in their kitchen. This is what being a food blogger is all about. Great job!
Oh my goodness, Susan. Thank you so much for your awesome comment. You definitely hit the nail on the head: you won’t need to visit Auntie Annie’s anymore and there are no crazy ingredients needed to make your own pretzels. These are so much fun to make and eat :). So glad you’ve stopped by!
Oh my goodness, Kathi, these are drool-worthy. They look absolutely fluffy and buttery and enticing and delicious. Awesome work. I agree with Chris–beautiful photos, too!
Thanks, Erin! You captured exactly what these taste like :). They are so good. Hope you’re starting to feel better this week!!
I LOVE making my own soft pretzels at home. They are so simple, and yet so tasty. Yours look perfect!
I totally agree. It couldn’t be easier to make this awesome snack. Thank you!!!
I love homemade pretzels so much. I don’t make them very often because I will eat the entire batch in one afternoon {no self control}. Your pretzels look so good … I’m craving now!
Haha. I know exactly what that’s like… definitely more self-control needed here as well. Maybe we’ll practice that after we finish up these pretzels :). Thank you so much, Nicole!
These pretzels are absolutely gorgeous! You formed them so perfectly and I love your pictures! Pinned 🙂
Thank you so much, Chelsea. Forming these pretzels was one of the best parts. So much fun!!
Kathi I can see why you were excited to share these – they look PERFECT! I am obsessed with soft pretzels, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Pinning!
Thank you, Cate! Hope you enjoy these as much as we did 🙂
Kathi, I love how you didn’t hold back on us to sharing these… absolutely gorgeous! We live near a pretzel store in our tiny little town. It’s really the only place to go out for a treat… the Ma & Pop’s hamburger joint is under construction until summer, and that’s all we have for 30 miles. So, I am truly thankful for your wonderful recipe … as so I may make these from home for my (always) hungry boys!
There was no way I could have kept these a secret, ha! Hope you give this recipe a try and let me know how they compare to the ones you get at your pretzel store. Thank you, Gloria!
Your pretzels look delicious!! I have tried making pretzels before but they never turned out good. I printed your post and hope to try them next week!
If you love chocolate, check out my recent post; Hot Fudge Cake
Michael 🙂
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/hot-fudge-sauce-chocolate-cake-and-ice-cream/
That’s great. Let me know how they turn out. I’d love to hear, Michael. I will definitely check out your post as well!
Soft pretzels are one of my favorite things to make at home but I don’t make them as much as I should. Yours look amazing!
Thank you so much, Ashley. I am pretty sure they are my new favorite thing to make :).
I wish I could reach through the screen and grab one of these glorious pretzels. They look like perfectly salted perfection! 🙂 Pinned!
Thank you so much for stopping by, Jocelyn. SO happy to have you!! I am taking your comment as a huge compliment 🙂 and thanks for pinning!!
can i do this without a dough hook and mixer.via hands?or wil;l it be too hard for a weakling with know paitence!!
I think it’s definitely doable, Kate! You will need to practice a little bit of patience and endurance though, but it can be done! Hope you give it a go!
Best snack ever! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Absolutely. Thank you, Karly!!
Im having some trouble with the active yeast part. Is it possible to substitute instant yeast? For some reason I cant get bubbles in the milk
Hi Farya,
If you have had success with instant yeast in the past, I would say go ahead and use that instead. It should work just as well and hopefully make it much easier for you. Happy baking!!
Hi Kathi,
Have you ever used food grade lye as a dipping solution? It works wonderfully and you get a darker result. It’s a Bavarian method for dipping, a lot like your dough recipe is. I plan to try this dipping method with your other pretzel recipes, as well. Btw, love this site!
I am making these right now. My problem is getting the yeast to bubble or foam. I did exactly as stated in the recipe microwaving the milk and tested with a thermometer to 110 degrees. I tried it with rapid rise yeast and active dry yeast both well in date….nothing happened? I have the dough in a warm place rising as I write this…with my second try using rapid yeast. Hopefully it will rise?? What am I doing wrong?