Description
This easy homemade soft pretzels recipe lets you create delicious, golden-brown pretzels in just 30 minutes. Perfect for snacks or parties, these soft pretzels are made with simple ingredients, shaped by hand into fun forms, and baked to perfection without the traditional boiling step.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups flour
Topping
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- Salt for sprinkling (kosher salt preferred, or sea salt)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast and mix dough: Combine the instant yeast, warm water, honey, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the flour and mix for 1-2 minutes until the dough is smooth, pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and is only slightly sticky when pulled apart.
- Preheat the oven: Start preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C) so it reaches the correct baking temperature while you shape the pretzels.
- Shape the pretzels: Pull off pieces of dough or pat the dough out and cut into even pieces. Shape each piece into pretzels, letters, hearts, animals, or little bites, and place them on one or two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. It’s best to fill and bake one sheet at a time for even baking.
- Apply egg wash and sprinkle salt: Mix the egg with a little water and brush it evenly over all the dough shapes. Immediately sprinkle kosher or sea salt on top for that signature pretzel flavor.
- Bake the pretzels: Bake the shaped pretzels in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until they develop a golden brown crust.
- Cool and serve: Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Enjoy your soft pretzels fresh and warm!
Notes
- The egg wash is crucial because this recipe does not use a traditional boiling step to get the pretzel crust; it helps achieve the golden color and texture.
- If the dough feels too sticky when shaping, dust your hands and work surface lightly with flour as needed.
- Use kosher salt for sprinkling to get that classic pretzel taste and crunch, but sea salt can work as a substitute.
- For even baking, only fill one cookie sheet at a time since the first batch will finish baking before you finish shaping the rest.
- You can customize shapes to make fun pretzels for kids or themed occasions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
