Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels: Better Than the Mall

| Prep Time: 30 minutes | Rise Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 12–15 minutes | Yield: 8 large pretzels |

There are few snacks as universally beloved as a warm, soft pretzel. Whether you associate them with baseball games, movie theaters, or the mall food court, that distinct combination of a chewy interior, a golden-brown skin, and crunchy coarse salt is pure comfort. The good news is that making Homemade Soft Pretzels is surprisingly easy, incredibly fun, and the results are vastly superior to anything you can buy.

This easy pretzel recipe walks you through the simple yeast dough, the fun twisting process, and the crucial step that gives pretzels their signature flavor and color: the baking soda bath. The result is a batch of hot, buttery pretzels ready for dipping in mustard or cheese sauce. It’s the perfect weekend baking project for the whole family.

Why You’ll Love Making Pretzels at Home

• Superior Flavor: Nothing beats the taste of a pretzel fresh out of the oven, brushed with real butter.
• Fun Pantry Project: It uses basic staple ingredients like flour, water, yeast, and baking soda.
• The “Magic” Step: The baking soda bath is a fun science experiment that transforms regular dough into a true pretzel.
• Customizable: Top them with classic salt, cinnamon sugar, or even shredded cheese and jalapeños.

What It Tastes Like

A perfect soft pretzel has a distinct, slightly alkaline flavor on the outside from the baking soda bath, which creates that dark, glossy crust. Inside, the bread is soft, tender, and slightly chewy with a mild yeast flavor. The coarse salt on top provides essential textural and flavor contrast.

Ingredients & Quantities

This recipe makes 8 large, ballpark-style pretzels.

For the Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups Warm Water (around 110°F – warm to the touch but not hot)
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) Active Dry Yeast (or Instant Yeast)
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar (to feed the yeast)
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled

For the Baking Soda Bath & Topping:

• 10 cups Water
• 2/3 cup Baking Soda (this is not a typo; you need a lot!)
• 1 large Egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (Egg wash for color)
• Coarse Sea Salt or Pretzel Salt (for sprinkling)
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted (for brushing after baking)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Activate Yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), combine the 1 1/2 cups warm water, 1 packet yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy. Note: If using Instant yeast, you can skip this step and mix everything together at once.
2. Mix & Knead Dough: Add the melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix on low speed with the dough hook. Gradually add the remaining 1 to 1 1/2 cups of flour until a soft, tacky dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead on medium-low speed for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
4. Shape the Pretzels: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 22-24 inches long. To shape: make a U-shape with the rope, twist the two ends around each other twice, then fold the twisted ends down and press them onto the bottom curve of the U at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions.
5. Prep the Bath: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with oil (crucial so they don’t stick!). Bring the 10 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Carefully add the 2/3 cup baking soda. It will bubble vigorously!
6. The Baking Soda Bath: Drop 1 or 2 pretzels into the boiling water at a time. Boil for just 30 seconds, flipping once halfway through. Remove with a large slotted spatula, letting excess water drip off, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Top & Bake: Brush each boiled pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Bake for 12–15 minutes until deep golden brown.
8. Finish: Remove from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the 4 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm with mustard or cheese dip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need the baking soda bath? This is the most important step! The alkaline bath gelatinizes the outside starches of the dough, which prevents it from rising too much in the oven and creates that signature chewy crust and distinct pretzel flavor. Without it, you’re just making pretzel-shaped bread rolls.

Can I use bread flour? Yes. Bread flour has more protein and will result in an even chewier, sturdier pretzel, which many people prefer.

My pretzels stuck to the paper! Pretzel dough gets very sticky after the water bath. It is essential to generously grease your parchment paper or silicone baking mat before placing the boiled pretzels onto it.

Conclusion

These Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels are a fun and rewarding baking project that yields delicious results. Once you master the simple twist and the baking soda bath, you’ll never want store-bought pretzels again!