About This Recipe
What is a soft pretzel?
A soft pretzel is a popular snack often enjoyed at sporting events, movie theaters, and amusement parks. They are made from a simple dough and characterized by a chewy and tender texture throughout. Their unique color comes from a bath in baking soda (or lye). Soft pretzels can be served plain or with a variety of toppings and dips, such as coarse salt, cinnamon sugar, cheese sauce, mustard, or caramel.
What I love about this recipe:
This recipe is made from simple ingredients, is quick and easy to throw together, and is safe to make around little ones – as lye is not used to color and flavor the pretzels. The dough is easy to handle and develop in a stand mixer, and comes together in just under twenty minutes. These pretzels come out of the oven with a beautiful golden-brown color and gorgeous expansion.
The "Why's"
Bread Flour
Bread flour is incredibly helpful for stiff doughs like this one because the decreased amount of water limits gluten’s ability to bind. Look for a bread flour with a protein content of at least 12% fir best results. Alternatively, you could use all-purpose flour and one to two tablespoons of vital wheat gluten. I use King Arthur Bread Flour in any recipe that calls for bread flour.
Low Hydration
Pretzels are made from a stiff dough that contains less water than flour. This gives the pretzels a softer, denser texture and allows them to hold their unique shape. You can read more about dough hydration here.
Starter Flexibility
This is one of my first recipes, and one of the things I used to do was adjust the amount of starter based on environment and baking timeline goals. I soon learned that this confused people, so in my current recipes I have switched to adjusting fermenting times instead. Seeing as I have not updated this recipe, you will still notice a range of starter. To help you determine how much starter to use based on the environment of your home and your baking timeline goals, check out this video. You can also reference the suggested baking timelines below. I do not do this in my newer recipes; however, understanding your environment, baking timeline goals, and how much starter is perfect for your situation will open up a realm of control in your sourdough baking world that is unmatched.
Butter inside the dough, but not on top
The addition of butter to the dough adds softness to the pretzels, as well as keeps the dough soft and slightly stickier, which helps the pretzels roll out and shape much easier.
Brushing these pretzels with butter before baking will limit their ability to brown properly in the oven. If you think they need more butter, brush them with butter after they come out of the oven (but, beware that it will dissolve the salt).
Gluten Development
For this stiff dough, gluten is easily developed in a stand mixer. Because of the low hydration, a low speed (speed two on a KitchenAid) is all that is necessary, and the dough is ready to rise in twelve to fifteen minutes. Alternatively, the dough can be turned out onto the counter and kneaded by hand for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Bulk fermentation
Bulk fermentation timing is flexible, depending on your personal fermentation preferences. For best results, let this dough rise to double in size. This recipe can be made all in one day or left to ferment overnight. Because this dough contains extra flour, the starter has plenty of food. This means that if the dough goes over double in size, the end results will still be great. An over-proofed dough will not expand in the baking soda bath or in the oven, but is only likely to occur if the dough is left untouched for an exceedingly long time, and goes above triple in size.
Shaping
I use a pre-shape and a final shape for this recipe. As the pretzels are being rolled out, the gluten begins to tighten. By letting the dough rest after rolling into a long cylinder, the gluten is given a chance to relax and the pretzels are much easier to form into their final shape.
Cold Proof
I place the shaped pretzels in the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes before boiling and baking. The reason for this is two-fold. First, they become incredibly easy to handle when it comes time for the baking soda bath. Second, they do not become as puffy and have, in my opinion, a more beautiful oven spring and final appearance.
Baking soda bath
I use a lot of baking soda in the baking soda bath. This is necessary to achieving the desired color and flavor on these pretzels. In addition, a small amount of honey is used to add a bit of sweetness and counteract the potentially metallic taste of the baking soda. The honey can be eliminated, if desired. It is key to whisk the baking soda into the hot water before adding the honey, in order to prevent a mess. Otherwise, the baking soda will react and boil over the sides of the pot. Likewise, it is important to only simmer the pretzels in the baking soda bath for thirty seconds, otherwise the flavor of the baking soda will become overpowering.
Baking Method
I bake these pretzels at 450 F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 425 F for 8-10 minutes more. The higher temperature ensures a beautiful oven spring, while the lower temperature finishes cooking the pretzels all the way through.
Suggested Daytime Baking Timeline
8 AM
+Mix and knead the dough.
+Begin bulk fermentation.
4 PM
+Divide and pre-shape the dough.
4:15 PM
+Shape the dough.
5 PM
+Cold proof the dough.
5:30-6 PM
+Boil and bake the pretzels.
+Enjoy!
Suggested Overnight Baking Timeline
9 PM
+Mix and knead the dough.
+Begin bulk fermentation.
7-8 AM
+Divide and pre-shape the dough.
7:15-8:15 AM
+Shape the dough.
8-9 AM
+Cold proof the dough.
9:30-10 AM
+Boil and bake the pretzels.
+Enjoy!
Suggested Work Day Baking Timeline
8 AM
+Mix and knead the dough.
+Begin bulk fermentation.
5 PM
+Divide and pre-shape the dough.
5:15 PM
+Shape the dough.
6 PM
+Cold proof the dough.
6:30 PM
+Boil and bake the pretzels.
+Enjoy!
Soft Pretzels
Course: SnackCuisine: American, GermanDifficulty: Intermediate20
minutes6-12
hours20
minutes6
pretzelsIngredients
- Dough
275 g water (1 cup)
100 g active starter (1/2 cup)
500 g bread flour (4 cups; I use King Arthur Bread Flour)
10 g salt (1 1/2 tsp)
3 tbsp softened butter (43 g)
- Baking Soda Bath
6 cups water (1 1/2 quarts; 1500 g)
2/3 cup baking soda (180 g)
3 tbsp honey (60 g)
- For sprinkling
Course, flaky, or pretzel salt
Directions
Mix the bread flour, salt, water, and active starter together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Knead in the stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, on a low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) until the dough comes completely together. Alternatively, knead by hand.
After the dough has come together, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each tablespoon to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
Continue kneading 12-15 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, soft, and pliable. NOTE: The dough should NOT stick to your fingers or the bowl. If it is too sticky at this stage, problems will occur later on. Add more flour if necessary.
Bulk ferment the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rest until it has doubled in size.
Pre-shape. Divide the dough into six equal portions, about 150 g each, and pre-shape each into a 24-27 inch long rope. Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Shape each rope into a pretzel (see 4:45 in video). Make a “U” shape with each rope. Twist the ends to form what looks like a fish. Twist the ends 1-2 more times to complete the middle pretzel twist. Last, bring the top down to the bottom to complete the pretzel shape.
Final proof. Rest on the counter for 30-60 minutes (this will add fluff to your pretzel), then in the fridge for another 30-60 minutes (this will make them easy to handle and give them a beautiful oven spring).
Prepare the baking soda bath. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a 4 qt pot, then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 F.
Add the baking soda to your hot, simmering water in small portions, whisking continuously, so as not to let the mixture boil over.
Once the baking soda has dissolved, add the honey to the pot and whisk to dissolve.
Remove the pretzels from the fridge and prepare a work area with your baking soda bath, cold pretzels, a cooling rack, and a skimmer.
Simmer each pretzel in the baking soda bath for 30 seconds (no more than 40 seconds or your pretzels will develop a metallic taste), then remove using a skimmer and let them fully drip dry on a cooling rack.
Transfer pretzels from the cooling rack to a baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake the pretzels at 450 F for 10 minutes, then at 425 F for 8-10 more minutes.
Immediately remove the pretzels from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack, in order to prevent the bottom from overcooking.
Enjoy!
How to store: Enjoy these fresh out of the oven. If you absolutely cannot, let them cool as much as possible, then place on a sheet pan and flash-freeze.
To reheat: Remove the pretzels from the freezer and bake at 350 F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
Watch the Video
Notes
- Do NOT butter the pretzels after simmering in the baking soda bath! This will ruin the beautifully dark color the baking soda bath will give. Instead, butter after baking, if desired.
- You could skip the fridge during the second proof and just let these rest on the counter for 60-90 minutes. They will be super fluffy, but a little more difficult to handle and may not have as beautiful of an oven spring.
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