Soft Pretzels

There’s something truly special about homemade soft pretzels: warm, golden, and lightly chewy with that signature hint of salt or cinnamon sugar. They’re simple, comforting, and surprisingly fun to make from scratch. Unlike many baked goods, pretzels invite you to get hands-on with the dough, making them the perfect recipe to share with children.

In our classes, this is always one of the most exciting sessions. Each child gets to shape their own pretzels — from classic twists to playful creations like snakes, alphabets, and even their own unique designs. It’s amazing to see their personalities come through in their food, and even more special when they proudly say, “I made this myself.”

A snake-shaped pretzel created by our 5-year old student.

Recipe:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6a5dd5_16e03f5ffca64fa099ff65a94e3edfe3/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Soft Pretzel Recipe Video

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) milk

• 2  tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons (42g) light brown sugar, packed

• 2¼ teaspoons (7g) instant/rapid-rise yeast (1 package)

• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

• 1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt

• ¼ cup (60g) baking soda

Toppings

• 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter

• ¾ teaspoon (4g) coarse salt

• 2 tablespoons (28g) sugar 

• 1 teaspoons (2g) ground cinnamon powder 

Directions

1. Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter until the butter is just melted, do not boil ( lukewarm 37-43 deg C)

2. Add the brown sugar to warm milk/butter mixture and stir until dissolved; set aside

3. In a big bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Use an heavy duty spatula to mix until well combined.

4.  Add the warm milk/butter mixture to the bowl.

5.  Mix with spatula until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 1-2 mins.

6. Knead dough with hand until dough is smooth and elastic (2-3min) . Add flour if needed.

7.  Shape the dough into a ball, and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. 

8. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size ( about 1-2 hours.

9. Preheat the oven to 230°c

10. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

11. In a  baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2¼ cups (540g) warm water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved; set aside. (Dipping the pretzel dough in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels a nice golden brown crust.)

12.  Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. (If the dough seems sticky, you can dust it with a bit of flour as needed.) Shape the dough into a log, then cut into 6 equal pieces; cover with a damp dishtowel so the dough doesn't dry out. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.

13. sing two hands, gently dip each "rope" into the soda solution. Let any excess liquid drip off, then form the dough into a pretzel shape directly on the prepared baking sheet (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over    and under each other -- making a twist in the center -- and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel).

14.  Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt. (Leave plain if you like to have sweet pretzels)

15. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes; watch the bottoms carefully as they can burn.

16.  Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels.

    Sprinkle cinnamon sugar if preferred. The pretzels are best enjoyed warm out of the oven or fresh on the same day (reheat in the oven or microwave).

Note 1: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm milk and butter, let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe.

Note 2: If you prefer a cinnamon sugar topping, omit the coarse salt. Brush with butter after baking and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar plus about ¾ teaspoon cinnamon)

Make-Ahead Instructions: After the dough has risen, it can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for a few months. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator before using. The dough can be shaped into pretzel bites while still cool, but allow about 30 minutes for the bites to puff up a bit before dipping and baking.

Recipe by Jennifer Segal