Simple Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe

These homemade soft pretzels are one of my favorite snacks to bring to any party or tailgate. They only require 7 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your home! 

If you've made my bagel recipe, you'll find this to be very similar as it's another simple yeast dough. Feel free to play around with this recipe and make different shapes and sizes with the pretzels! I personally love making knots :)

Supplies Needed: 1 large bowl (to let the dough rise), 1 baking sheet and parchment paper, 1 large pot, kitchen aid mixer (preferred but not necessary)

Ingredients :

-1 1/2 cups of warm water

-8g or 1 packet of dry instant yeast

-1 tsp of salt

-1 Tbsp of brown sugar

-1 Tbsp of melted butter

-500g or 4 cups of all-purpose flour

-Course sea salt to top the pretzels 

-1/2 Cup of baking soda for boiling

Recipe:

1. In your stand mixer bowl, whisk the yeast into warm water. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to make sure the yeast activates (bubbles). Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter then slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time.

2. Turn your stand mixer on the lowest setting with the dough hook attachment and start to combine. Once combined, the dough will be very sticky. Add 1 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to  knead. Knead by hand or in the stand mixer for an additional 5 minutes. Poke the dough with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. Let the dough rise in a warm dark place (covered) for 15 minutes.

3. Begin boiling your water in a large pot with the 1/2 cup of baking soda and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 

4. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections (about 75g each). Roll each section of the dough into a 20-24 inch rope. Now its time to shape your pretzels! You can be creative here but to make a traditional pretzel shape start by placing the rope on your work surface and form it into a "U" shape. Cross the ends of the "U" over each other to form an "X". Twist the ends together once more, then fold them down to the bottom of the "U" and press to form the classic pretzel shape.

5.Once formed, drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt.

6. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Enjoy with cream cheese, mustard, ranch dressing, or whatever you like!