Soft Pretzels
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Easy to make and even better to eat, these buttery, slightly sweet soft pretzels have that irresistible mall pretzel flavor everyone loves!
Everyone needs a go-to soft pretzel recipe—whether for rainy days with the kids, hosting friends, or just because. My kids absolutely love these buttery, slightly sweet pretzels—they taste just like Auntie Anne’s! They’re easy to make in a stand mixer, but kneading the dough by hand works just as well. And when it comes to shaping, rolling and twisting the dough into pretzel shapes is half the fun—but pretzel bites are a great option if you want to keep it simple.
These soft pretzels are super easy to customize: stick with the classic salted version, or skip the salt, brush with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat. For the grown-ups, pair them with mustard or beer cheese dip for extra flavor.
“I made these for a party. They were amazing. I love Auntie Anne’s pretzels and these tasted just like them.”
What You’ll Need To Make Soft Pretzels
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough, giving the pretzels their soft texture.
- Unsalted butter: Some is melted into the dough for flavor and softness, while the rest is brushed on top for that buttery finish.
- Light brown sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness and helps the yeast do its job.
- Instant/rapid-rise yeast: Makes the dough rise and gives the pretzels their light, fluffy texture.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of the dough that gives the pretzels their structure.
- Fine salt: Enhances all the flavors in the dough.
- Baking soda: Mixed with warm water to create a solution for dipping the dough before baking. This step is what gives pretzels their golden-brown crust, shiny appearance, and classic flavor.
- Coarse salt: Sprinkled on top for that classic salty bite we all love.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 90 seconds, just until the butter melts—be careful not to let it boil. (You can also do this in a small saucepan if you prefer.) Stir in the brown sugar until it’s dissolved, then set it aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute, until everything is well combined.
Keep the mixer on low and slowly pour in the warm milk mixture. Once the dough comes together into a cohesive mass, swap the paddle for the dough hook.
Knead the dough on medium-low speed, adding a little more flour if needed, until it’s smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
Punch down the dough to release the air, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. Shape it into a log and cut it into six equal pieces.
Roll and stretch each piece into a 24-inch rope using the palms of your hands. Hold the ends and gently slap the middle of the rope on the counter to help stretch it out.
Combine the baking soda and warm water in a 2-quart baking dish, stirring until the baking soda dissolves. Gently dip each rope into the solution—this step is key to giving the pretzels their signature dark brown, shiny crust and unique flavor. Skip this step, and they just wouldn’t be the same!
Let any excess liquid drip off, then shape the dough into a pretzel directly on the prepared baking sheet. To do this, form a U-shape with the rope, cross the ends over and under each other to make a twist in the middle, and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel. Sprinkle evenly with coarse salt.
Bake the pretzels until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush it over the warm pretzels. Enjoy them fresh from the oven, or reheat later in the oven or microwave.
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Soft Pretzels
These buttery, slightly sweet homemade soft pretzels are fun to make and taste just like Auntie Anne’s!
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2¼ teaspoons instant/rapid-rise yeast (1 package)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds; do not boil. (Alternatively, warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan.) Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture to the bowl. When the dough forms a cohesive mass, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a 2-qt baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2¼ cups 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.)
- 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.
- Using 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). Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes; watch the bottoms carefully as they can burn.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels. The pretzels are best enjoyed warm out of the oven or fresh on the same day (reheat in the oven or microwave).
- Note: 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: 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.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 pretzel
- Calories: 331
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 2540 mg
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi could this recipe be made into 4 pretzel buns? I had a burger on a pretzel bun and it was delicious!
Happy New Year!
ps everything I’ve made from you has been excellent! Thanks!
Hi Natasha, sounds yummy! I suspect it should work, but the baking time will likely be different so keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Can you make them with bread flour?
Hi Amy, for the best/most predictable results, I’d stick with the all-purpose flour here. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Made these for the 1st time and they were absolutely GREAT!!! I made a double recipe, which barely fit in my Kitchen Aid mixer and they are almost gone after 2 days. Family loved them. I’m going to make again this weekend and top with everything but the bagel seasoning. I will do 3 per baking sheet instead of 6 so that they will be jumbo sized. Amazing texture and flavor, especially right out of the oven. Thank you!
I am making these pretzels for school lunches/snacks but saw that one should eat them the same day so I plan to refrigerate the dough for a couple days til school starts. Do you think it would work to freeze the cooked pretzels and then thaw them naturally individually by putting in the lunchbox in the morning, maybe with a jump start light zap in the microwave or preferably oven if I have time? I always freeze my homemade baguettes and re-bake them.
Hi Janet, I think they’re probably best if reheated and eaten warm, but what you’re suggesting is certainly worth a try (and if your kids are anything like mine, they’ll let you know if they don’t like them)! 🤣
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that you can easily freeze the pretzels after they’ve been baked. Just treat them like store-bought, pre-baked soft pretzels. I stick them back in the oven for a few minutes (5-8 mins), and they taste as fresh as they do when first out of the oven.
This was my first time making soft pretzels! This recipe was so easy and the pretzels were so amazing. I will be making these again and again!!
Can’t wait to try these with my kids! Question- do you use a particular milk? 1%, 2%, whole milk? I’m sure you can use any type or it would’ve been stated but what is your preferred milk choice?
I usually have a variety in my fridge (just b/c of the work I do), so I use whatever I have on hand at the time. Anything you usually buy is fine. Hope you all enjoy them!
These were great. Nice crust and a soft inside. Took about 16 minutes in my older oven.
i made these and they are beyond fantastic! i would recommend letting the shaped pretzels set/rise after dipping them in the baking soda water for around 5 minutes it makes them super soft!
Best soft pretzles I have ever made. Awesome recipe!