Easy Soft Pretzels (Chewy, Golden, Bakery-Style At Home)
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The Soft Pretzels I Want On Every Snack Board
These are the soft pretzels I always want around. They feel cozy and familiar, and they’re way easier than people think. The dough comes together fast with no long rise, so you can go from craving to eating the same afternoon.
Here is how it all comes together:
- Mix warm water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast in a bowl
- Add flour and salt, then knead until the dough is sticky, stretchy, and bounces back when pressed
- Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes so it relaxes and becomes easier to shape
- Divide into portions, roll into long ropes, and twist into classic pretzel shapes
- Simmer each pretzel briefly in a hot baking soda bath
- Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake until deeply golden and shiny
Once they hit the oven, the smell fills the kitchen quickly, and the pretzels puff while the outside turns bronze. The baking soda gives them that slight pretzel bite when you tear in, but the inside stays soft enough to pull apart in big, satisfying pieces. They are best warm, but they reheat well in the oven if you want to make them earlier in the day.
You can keep them simple with salt or brush with melted butter after baking and add cinnamon sugar for a sweet version. They are great as a side with soup or chili, as part of a game day spread, or piled next to a bowl of queso or French onion dip for dipping.
Easy Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two baking sheets
- Large pot (for soda bath)
- Slotted spoon or spider
- Clean kitchen towel
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups warm water about 110°F
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Topping
- Coarse salt about 1 tablespoon total
Soda Bath
- 9 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
Instructions
Prepare the pans
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Have coarse salt ready for topping.
Make the dough
- In a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook, add the warm water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until a sticky dough forms. If kneading by hand: Knead for about 5 minutes, using up to ⅓ cup additional flour on your work surface if needed. The dough should be sticky but stretchy and bounce back when pressed.
Rest the dough
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the soda bath
- Add the water and baking soda to a large pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil.
Shape the pretzels
- Divide the dough into about 12 equal portions (roughly ½ cup each). Roll each piece into a rope about 20 inches long. Form into a pretzel shape by making a circle and crossing the ends over each other.
Boil the pretzels
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Working in batches of two, gently place the pretzels into the boiling water bath. Let them sit for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake
- Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Serve
- Remove from the oven and enjoy warm.