soft pretzel

When it comes to making any bread dough, I do everything by hand. No machinery is needed for this New York-style soft pretzel recipe as its very easy to work with. However, I&#x27;ve included instructions in the notes of this recipe if you&#x27;d prefer using a stand mixer. 

For shaping the soft pretzels, refer to the four photos in the blog post.

New York-Style Soft Pretzels Recipe

(1 envelope) / 7 g dry active yeast

fine-grain sea salt

/ 8 g granulated sugar

/ 128 g bread Flour

/ 256 g all-purpose flour

/ 28 g unsalted butter, softened

Neutral-tasting oil,

/ 72 g baking soda

/ 19 g granulated sugar

egg,

water

pretzel salt / course grain sea salt

For the Dough: Mix yeast, sea salt, sugar,...

For the Dough: Mix yeast, sea salt, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl, whisking until sugar dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place flour into a large bowl. Using two...

Place flour into a large bowl. Using two butter knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Slowly pour yeast mixture over flour mixture, stirring...

Slowly pour yeast mixture over flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon or your hands to combine. Using your hands, gather dough together. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes.

Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and...

Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size. About 1 hour. (Kamran note: If you want, you can place the covered bowl of dough in the refrigerator over night)

Cut dough into 12 equal pieces, and roll...

Cut dough into 12 equal pieces, and roll each into an 18-inch rope. Form a U shape with 1 rope, and twist ends together twice. Fold twisted portions backward along center of U shape to form a circle, then gently press ends of rope onto dough to seal.

Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and repeat....

Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and repeat. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475ºF.

Boil the Dough: Bring a large pot of...

Boil the Dough: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add baking soda and the 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Boil pretzels in batches until puffed and slightly shiny, about 30 seconds a side.

Transfer to wire racks to drain. Place pretzels...

Transfer to wire racks to drain. Place pretzels on a liberally oiled baking sheet.

Glaze and Bake: Mix the 1 teaspoon water...

Glaze and Bake: Mix the 1 teaspoon water and egg in a small bowl. Brush each pretzel with the egg wash. Sprinkle the with the pretzel salt or course grain sea salt (I used the latter).

Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about...

Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for...

Pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Re-warm in a 250ºF / 130ºC oven if desired, and serve with your favorite mustard or cheese dip.

Two Ingredient Dough Pretzel Bites are SUPER EASY to make with no yeast and no waiting for the dough to rise. Just mix the dough, cut nuggets, dip in baking soda water and bake!

Two Ingredient Dough Pretzel Bites

flour

tbsp self-rising flour

plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

tbsp baking soda

butter, melted

tbsp pretzel salt

Put the self-rising flour (1 cup plus 2...

Put the self-rising flour (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) and plain, fat-free Greek yogurt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.

Mix at a low speed until combined. Then, knead...

Mix at a low speed until combined. Then, knead at a medium speed for about 3 minutes until a ball forms. If the dough is too sticky, add more self-rising flour a little at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle...

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour, knead a couple of times, and form the dough into a ball. Cut the dough ball into four wedges.

Roll each piece of dough into a long...

Roll each piece of dough into a long rope. Cut each rope into about 12 small segments.

Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Dip the dough...

Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Dip the dough segments into the baking soda mixture. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake at 425˚F for 7-10 minutes, until golden...

Bake at 425˚F for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Brush pretzel bites with melted butter and sprinkle...

Brush pretzel bites with melted butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ckaka9y4ci5gybwaajh2.mp4

These knots have the yummiest cinnamon and apple flavor...perfect warm just out of the oven!

Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots

honey

active dry yeast

apple cider, warm

(1/2 cup) salted butter, melted

all-purpose flour

sugar

cinnamon

salted butter,

apple butter

brown sugar

1. Combine the water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly on top.2. Add the apple cider, butter, and flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is too wet or too dry, add additional flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.3. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl. 4. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. 5. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (about 16x14 inches), adding flour as needed. Spread the dough with 4 tablespoons butter, then the apple butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Fold the dough in half, pressing to adhere. Cut into 16 strips. Twist each strip into a loose knot, it doesn&#39;t need to be perfect. 6. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the brown sugar, flour, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Spoon clumps of the brown sugar mix over the knots (see above photo). 7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Enjoy warm or at room temp, warm is best in my book!

How to make soft pretzels with a 5-ingredient dough (vegan optional!) and super simple process. These homemade pretzels are beautifully browned, fluffy inside, with the classic pretzel chew- plus, I&#039;ve included several flavor pretzel varieties too!

How To Make Soft Pretzels

white bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

Tbsp salt (10 g)

olive oil

tsp yeast (15 g)

brown sugar (optional)

baking soda

salt

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and oil in a bowl and allow it to rest for a few minutes to activate and foam up a little.

Add the yeast mixture into the large bowl with flour and mix it all together into a dough.

Step 1: Prepare the pretzel dough

You can do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook, using a hand mixer, a food processor with a dough blade, or even by hand (though that&#039;ll take a bit longer and be more hands-on prep).Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (when stretching the dough, it shouldn&#039;t break off). If you give the dough a poke, it should quickly bounce back - if the indentation stays, knead it a little longer.In a machine, this can take as little as 5 minutes. By hand, it may take up to 15, so be patient.

Step 2: Knead the dough

Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use the same one as before) and leave it to rest in a warm place for around an hour. During this time, it should double in size.If you don&#039;t live somewhere very warm, you can leave the dough covered in the oven with the oven light (but no heat).

Step 3: Allow the dough to rise

After proofing, gently deflate the dough, remove it from the bowl and divide it into 8 pieces.I find it best to weigh the dough for the most accurate results, so my dough weighed 795g (28oz) and was separated to roughly 100g each (3.5oz).

Roll each piece into a rope around 60-65cm long (23-25.6 inches). Now It&#039;s time to shape the pretzel.

Form each rope into a U shape on your kitchen counter and twist the two ends together a few inches from the top. Twist them a second time. Then bring those twisted ends back towards the bottom of the U and press them down well to form the pretzel shape (refer to images/video).Alternatively, you can roll out the entire dough to the rope length and cut it into 1cm &#039;strips&#039; - this will save you time rolling as you just need to then roll back and forth a couple of times to smooth the edges.

Keep any prepared pretzels under a slightly damp kitchen towel to stop the dough from drying out.

Step 4: Shape the pretzels

Meanwhile, as you shape the pretzels, get the baking soda bath prepares. Heat the water and sugar in a large pot - bringing it to a boil, then add the baking soda.When you add the baking soda to the boiling water, it will react and bubble up madly - I use a high-side pan, so this isn&#039;t an issue. However, you could also bring the baking soda and water to a boil together to avoid this. I&#039;ve tried both methods, and they seem to work fine either way.

Poach each pretzel for 10 seconds on each side - carefully lowering them/lifting them from the water with a spatula, slotted spoon, or similar tool.Be careful not to let them poach for longer than 20 seconds, though, or it can impact the flavor negatively.

Step 5: Poach the pretzels

After removing them from the poaching liquid, shake away excess liquid, and transfer the pretzels to a non-stick or parchment-lined baking tray (or silicone baking mat).For a shinier coating, feel free to brush with a little egg white or milk (dairy-free is fine too) and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes at 425ºF/220°C fan assisted (475ºF/240°C without fan). Keep an eye on them, so they don&#039;t over-brown.When they come out of the oven, feel free to brush them with a little melted butter for a closer &quot;Auntie Anne&#039;s&quot; flavor.

Step 6: Bake them

How to make the BEST Homemade Pretzels you&#39;ll ever eat! These traditional Bavarian-style pretzels have a deeply browned exterior and chewy texture. Surprisingly easy to make. Thanks to my boyfriend Joe for helping me develop this recipe!

Homemade Pretzel Recipe

barley malt syrup or light brown sugar

(355 grams) warm water (about 110°F), (divided)

(635 grams) all-purpose flour

(40 grams) food grade lye,

(1000 grams) water, room temperature

salt salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Spray with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast, barley malt syrup/sugar, and 1/4 cup of the water. Whisk to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes or until frothy.

Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups water, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Mix on low speed until combined.

Increase speed to medium and knead for five minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands, adding more flour if needed. This will be a very dense dough, so be careful not to step away from your mixer in case it decides to jump on the counter.

Make the dough:

There is no need to allow this dough to rise. Remove the dough to a clean work surface (do not flour). Divide into 10 equal pieces (each should be about 100 grams). Roll each piece against the counter or between your palms into about a 24-inch long log. The thinner the log, the crispier the pretzels. The thicker, the softer the pretzels.

Shape the log into a letter U. Cross the arms placing one over the other, then twist them around each other once. Bring the ends down to the bottom of the U and gently press to stick. Place on two greased parchment-lined baking sheets.

If you prefer softer spongier pretzels, allow the shaped pretzels to rise for 30 minutes before bathing in the lye.

Shape the pretzels:

Refer to the safety disclaimer in the blog post before using lye. If lye isn’t an option, see the baking soda bath directions below. Place safety gloves and goggles on, and a face mask too if you prefer. In a well-vented area, place a plastic or glass container (do not use metal) on top of a few pieces of parchment paper to protect your counter from splashes.  Carefully sprinkle the lye into the water. Use a silicone spatula to carefully stir the lye to dissolve. The lye is dissolved when the water looks clear.

Dip a shaped pretzel into the lye bath for about 30 seconds. Remove to the prepared greased parchment-lined baking sheets. Use a paring knife to score two slices into the thickest part of each pretzel. Sprinkle with pretzel salt as desired. Repeat until all pretzels have been lye dipped, scored, and salted.

Prepare the lye bath:

Bake both trays at 400°F for about 16 minutes, alternating the trays halfway through the baking time for even baking, until deeply golden brown. Bake for less time for softer pretzels and more time for crispier pretzels.

Let cool for 5 minutes before peeling away from the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature the same day you bake the pretzels. To store, freeze the pretzels in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Bake the pretzels:

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1686750282/itIkK47KT.mp4

How to make the BEST Homemade Pretzels you'll ever eat! These traditional Bavarian-style pretzels have a deeply browned exterior and chewy texture. Surprisingly easy to make. Thanks to my boyfriend Joe for helping me develop this recipe!

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