Description
This Easy Salted Soft Pretzels recipe guides you through making classic, chewy pretzels that are golden brown with a perfectly salted crust. Using a simple yeast dough and a baking soda water bath, these pretzels achieve their signature texture and color, making them ideal for snacks, parties, or homemade treats.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pretzels:
- 4 grams active dry yeast
- 300 grams water (300 ml)
- 6 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
- 20 grams brown sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 450 grams all-purpose white flour
- 15 grams butter, melted (1 tablespoon)
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- ¼ cup salt flakes (for sprinkling)
For the Water Bath:
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, water, salt, and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix the Dough: Add the all-purpose flour and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir well with a silicone spatula until a shaggy dough forms and there is no visible dry flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough surface is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough back to the bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for up to 1 hour until it doubles in size. To maintain moisture, lightly brush the dough ball with oil before resting.
- Shape the Pretzels: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Shape each piece into a ball, then roll each ball into a 20-inch long rope. Form each rope into a pretzel shape by making a circle, twisting the ends twice, and pressing the ends down onto the pretzel’s body. Cover shaped pretzels with cling wrap while preparing the water bath.
- Prepare the Water Bath: In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water, ½ cup baking soda, and ¼ cup brown sugar to a boil. Working in batches of 3 or 4, carefully drop the pretzels into the boiling water. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side; the longer they boil, the chewier and browner they will be when baked.
- Dry and Salt Pretzels: Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon and place them onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Let them dry for 5 minutes. Brush each pretzel with beaten egg to help with browning and to adhere salt flakes. Generously sprinkle salt flakes over the top.
- Bake the Pretzels: Bake pretzels in the preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Once done, transfer to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Equipment used includes a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), mixing bowl, large pot, and ½ sheet baking pan.
- To store, keep pretzels in an airtight container or ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place pretzels in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat frozen pretzels in a toaster or toaster oven on the freezer setting, or in an air fryer at 300°F for 10 minutes.
- Thawed pretzels can be reheated in a toaster, air fryer, or oven at 300°F for 5–10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pretzel
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
