Homemade Soft Pretzels (30 Minute Recipe)
This homemade soft pretzel recipe puts Auntie Anne’s to shame and is ready in just 30 minutes. It yields perfect soft pretzels ready to be coated in any topping of your choice and is much less expensive than buying one out.
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My husband has another woman in his life.
Auntie Anne.
He can’t get enough of her soft pretzels and gets one any time we head to a mall or on a road trip.
But I put a kibosh on his love affair with the pretzel maven.
This homemade soft pretzel recipe is everything you love about the classic pretzel chain but so much less expensive.
For less than the price of one pretzel at Auntie Anne’s you can make a whole batch of homemade pretzels that are just as fluffy and chewy as hers.
Ingredients
To make these you need:
- Water– Warm but not hot water
- Yeast– 1 packet of active yeast
- Salt
- Sugar– Granulated
- Flour– All purpose. The amount you’ll need will vary slightly because you’ll need some extra to flour your work surface and hand
- Egg
- Toppings– Salt or cinnamon and sugar
How to Make
Homemade soft pretzels are pretty easy to make!
To do it, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Set the baking sheet aside.
Then, stir the yeast into warm water followed by the salt and sugar.
Once you’ve made the yeast mixture, stir in the flour slowly, adding one cup at a time.
Keep stirring the mixture with a sturdy wooden spoon until the dough is thick, adding flour until the dough isn’t sticky any more.
Poke the dough with your finger.
If it ‘bounces back’ it is ready to knead.
To knead the dough, turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and shape into a ball.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough ball into roughly 1/3 cup sections.
Then roll each dough ball into a rope about 20 inches long.
Once you have your long rope, take the ends and bring them together until you form a circle.
Twist the ends then bring the down towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape.
Repeat this process with each dough ball until you’ve made all of them into pretzel shapes.
Then, beat the egg in a small bowl.
Dip the shaped pretzels into the egg wash, evenly coating both sides.
Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt or sugar depending on your personal preference.
Bake the pretzels for 10 minutes at 425 and then turn the broiler on and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the tops.
Let the pretzels cool and serve.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store leftovers for up to a day in an airtight container on the counter.
I highly recommend heating them in the oven until warm prior to serving leftovers.
Can I freeze homemade soft pretzels?
Yes!
To freeze them, make them as instructed above and let them cool completely.
Once they are cool, put them in a sealable freezer safe bag.
Seal the bag and freeze the pretzels for 3 months.
To enjoy, defrost one in the microwave on defrost and then warm in a hot oven.
Tips and Tricks
- You want the water to be just warm to the touch and not too hot or you will kill the yeast.
- To make pretzel bites, roll the dough out into long ropes and cut 1 to 2 inch sections of dough. Dunk them in the egg and bake until the pretzels are golden brown.
- Serve them with your favorite topping and dipping sauces. Savory pretzels pair well with cheese sauce or mustard while cinnamon sugar ones are delicious with a powdered sugar glaze.
Other Homemade Snacks
Homemade soft pretzels are ready in just 30 minutes and such a treat!
Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other homemade snacks?
Try these:
- Homemade Cheez It Crackers
- Air Fryer Strawberry Pop Tarts
- Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
- Quick & Easy Homemade Kettle Corn
If you’ve tried making these HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
30 Minute Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups luke warm water
- 1 packet active yeast 2 1/4 tsp
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour and more for flouring the counter surface and hands (for whole wheat, use 2.5 cups wheat flour & 1.75 cups white)
- 1 large egg
- salt for sprinkling, optional
- cinnamon & sugar for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Dissolve yeast in water. Stir with a spoon to combine. Add salt and sugar, stirring to combine.1 1/2 cups luke warm water, 1 packet active yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- Slowly add flour, one cup at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough is thick. Continue to add flour, one cup at a time, until dough is no longer sticky.4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- Poke dough with a finger. If it 'bounces back' it is ready to knead.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and shape into a ball.
- With a sharp knife, cut the dough ball into 1/3 cup sections. This measurement doesn't have to be exact.
- Roll the dough into a rope about 20 inches long.
- Once you have your long rope, take the ends and bring them together until your form a circle. Twist the ends then bring the down towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg. Dip the shaped pretzel into the egg wash, evenly coating both sides.1 large egg
- Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt or sugar depending on your personal preference.salt, cinnamon & sugar
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Turn the broiler on and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the tops. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Allow pretzels to cool, and serve.
Notes
- You want the water to be just warm to the touch and not too hot or you will kill the yeast.
- To make pretzel bites, roll the dough out into long ropes and cut 1 to 2 inch sections of dough. Dunk them in the egg and bake until the pretzels are golden brown.
- Serve them with your favorite topping and dipping sauces. Savory pretzels pair well with cheese sauce or mustard while cinnamon sugar ones are delicious with a powdered sugar glaze.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
