Soft Baked Pretzels
So easy to make, these soft baked pretzels are absolutely delicious. Make your pretzels with a simple dough that is shaped and boiled before baking. With this recipe, you will make wonderfully soft, golden and buttery pretzels that are perfect for lunch, dinner or snacking!
What is a soft baked pretzel
Soft baked pretzels are a yeast based bread that is shaped in a loose heart shape with a twist in the center. That pretzel is briefly boiled in a baking soda and water mixture and then baked until the bread is cooked through. These breads come out of the oven and are doused in butter and enjoyed warm. Pretzels have a distinctive flavor and a denser dark brown crust while still being perfectly soft and light on the inside.
Ingredients
Butter – Butter is used in the dough and is then brushed on top of your cooked pretzels to keep them soft and add flavor. I like to use salted butter but you can use an unsalted butter and sprinkle a little bit of salt on top if you want to control the saltiness.
Flour – Plain white all purpose flour
Yeast – An instant yeast works best for this recipe
Cream – Use a heavy cream whipping cream. You can substitute the cream and water for milk if you like.
Brown sugar – This adds to the unique pretzel flavor. Honey or white sugar can be substituted but brown sugar is best for this recipe.
Baking soda – The pretzels need to be briefly boiled in a mixture of baking soda and water. This gives them their color and texture. For lighter pretzels you can use less baking soda.
Do you need to boil your pretzels
Soft baked pretzels are boiled in a mixture of baking soda and water for about 30 seconds. This is an important stem to develop that really dark outer skin on your pretzels. This also contributes to the flavor, giving it a malted almost nutty taste. It also alters the texture, making the crust slightly chewy while still keeping the insides fluffy and soft. If you do skip the boiling step you will have a simple pretzel shaped bread roll.
You can also customize the way you serve these delicious breads by changing the shape or size.
Pretzel knots – Shaping these like my simple garlic knots gives you a simple small pretzel bun that is perfect for dipping in soups or serving with dinner in place of dinner rolls.
Pretzel burger buns – This might be my favorite way to have soft baked pretzels. Divide your dough into 8 pieces, then shape your pretzels using a shorter rolled dough with no gaps. Boil and then bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. This is the perfect bun for a fried chicken burger!
Pretzel bread sticks – Skip the shaping process entirely by making simple pretzel sticks. Roll your dough into 20cm strips, Boil in your baking soda mixture and then bake for about 16-18 minutes. Perfect for dipping into tomato soup or serving alongside a salad.
Serving your pretzels
I love the classic salty butter topping, making these pretzels the perfect dinner side dish but there are actually quite a few ways to serve your pretzels!
Here are some great serving ideas to get you started:
- Dipped in cheese sauce. A thick rich cheese sauce is the perfect decadent way to enjoy a pretzel.
- Cinnamon sugar sprinkled. Just like a cinnamon donut, brush your pretzels with butter and then immediately sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar for a simple sweet pretzel option.
- Caramel drizzled. The salt and sweet of caramel on pretzels is an absolute treat.
- Cheesy garlic topping. Add some crushed garlic to your melted butter before brushing it over and then cover them in a light grating of cheese.
- Spicy pretzels. Sprinkle over some chilli flakes or add some hot sauce to your melted butter to add a bit of heat to your pretzels.
Soft Baked Pretzels
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast, water, cream, sugar and butter. Leave the mixture to sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast is bubbly and active.
- Add in half of the flour (1 1/2 cups) and mix well for 2 minutes. Then add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing well between each addition.
- Turn your dough out onto a clean bench top and knead the dough for a minute or two until it forms a smooth ball.
- Grease a clean bowl with the cooking oil before placing your dough in the center. Cover the surface of the dough with any excess oil and make deep indents into the dough using your fingertips
- Leave the dough in a warm place to rise for one hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- Place your baking soda and water into a large saucepan. Mix well and heat on a medium high heat until simmering.
- While your water heats, prepare your pretzels. Divide your dough into 12 even sections and then roll each piece into a long sausage shape that is about 45cm long. Shape the strips of dough into pretzels and set them aside on a lined baking sheet.
- Add your shaped dough into the simmering water in batches of 3-4. Boil for about 30 seconds then use a slotted spatula to remove each pretzel. Carefully place them back onto your lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all of the pretzels have been dipped.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pretzels are a dark golden color and baked through.
- Melt your butter and brush it over your pretzels as soon as they comes out of the oven.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my soft baked pretzels recipe. I hope you enjoy trying this out for yourself. Please feel free to add any questions or comments below. I am happy to help out wherever possible and I would love to hear how this recipe worked out for you.
