Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe – Bakery-Style, 1-Hour, Zero-Waste Guide
5-ingredient dough, 10-minute rise, baking-soda bath, mall-style chew. 10 flavor twists, leftover hacks, freezer tips. No bread machine, no overnight wait.
Why Make Your Own Soft Pretzels?
- Fresh & Hot – 30 minutes from oven to mouth.
- 5 Pantry Staples – no powdered milk or bread flour needed.
- Custom Salt – coarse, flavored, or none.
- Kid-Friendly Shapes – letters, bites, knots.
- Cost – 12 pretzels < $1.50 total.
5-Ingredient Cheat-Sheet (12 full-size pretzels)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 4 cups (500 g) | 11 % protein ideal |
| Warm water | 1 ½ cups (360 ml) | 105–110 °F |
| Instant yeast | 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) | Rapid-rise OK |
| Sugar | 2 Tbsp | Feeds yeast, boosts browning |
| Salt | 2 tsp | Skip in bath |
| Baking soda | ⅓ cup | For alkaline bath (lye alternative) |
| Coarse salt | as needed | Topping only |
No-Knead Dough (10 min active)
- Whisk warm water, yeast, sugar; rest 2 min until foamy.
- Add flour & salt; mix with spoon until shaggy dough forms.
- Cover; let rise 10 min while oven preheats to 450 °F.
- Dough should puff slightly (no need to double).
Shape & Alkaline Bath (Bakery-Style Chew)
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (≈70 g each).
- Roll each into 20-inch rope; form U, cross, twist, press ends.
- Bring 8 cups water + ⅓ cup baking soda to gentle boil.
- Drop 2 pretzels at a time, 30 sec per side; lift with slotted spoon.
- Place on parchment-lined sheet; sprinkle coarse salt immediately.
Pro-tip: Cold dough = tighter shape; 5 min fridge rest helps.
Bake & Salt Guide
- Oven: 450 °F, middle rack.
- Time: 12–14 min until deep mahogany.
- Steam: Optional—place metal pan on bottom, add ½ cup water for extra chew.
- Brush: Melted butter right out of oven for glossy finish.
10 Flavor Twists (post-bake unless noted)
- Cinnamon-Sugar – brush butter, toss in 1:1 mix.
- Everything Bagel – sprinkle seasoning before bake.
- Garlic Parmesan – brush garlic butter, dust with grated Parm.
- Jalapeño Cheddar – press diced jalapeño & shredded cheddar before bake.
- Pizza – add mini pepperoni & mozzarella knots.
- Honey Wheat – sub 1 cup flour for whole-wheat + 1 Tbsp honey.
- Pretzel Bites – cut ropes into 1-inch pieces, reduce bake to 8 min.
- Sweet Almond – brush with amaretto syrup, top with sliced almonds.
- Buffalo – toss bites in buffalo sauce + ranch dip.
- Cocoa – replace ¼ cup flour with cocoa powder + 2 Tbsp sugar.
Zero-Waste & Leftover Hacks
- Save alkaline bath: cool, bottle, refrigerate—re-use same day for bagels.
- Stale pretzels: pulse into breadcrumbs, season, freeze.
- Under-baked centers: cube, toast, = pretzel croutons.
- Extra dough: roll thin, brush butter, cinnamon-sugar, twist into sticks.
- Freezer pack: par-bake 10 min, cool, freeze; finish 5 min at 450 °F when needed.
Storage & Reheat
- Counter: 2 days in paper bag (maintains chew).
- Fridge: 1 week wrapped; reheat 5 min at 350 °F.
- Freeze: cool, flash-freeze on sheet, bag 2 months; bake 8 min at 350 °F from frozen.
- Microwave: 15 sec wrapped in damp paper towel—soft again.
📖 Recipe Card
1-Hour Homemade Soft Pretzels
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)
- 1 ½ cups warm water (360 ml)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup baking soda (bath)
- Coarse salt for topping
- 2 Tbsp melted butter (post-bake)
- Mix dough, rest 10 min.
- Divide, roll, shape.
- Boil baking-soda bath 30 sec per side.
- Sprinkle salt, bake 450 °F 12–14 min.
- Brush butter, devour.
Active: 20 min | Bake: 12 min | Yield: 12 pretzels | Method: Boil & Bake
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