Homemade Soft Pretzels

If Auntie Anne’s is your idea of the ultimate soft pretzel, this soft pretzel recipe comes remarkably close. The pretzels have that same buttery flavor and satisfying chew, and the recipe was even featured in Allyson Reedy’s 30 Breads to Bake Before You Die, a collection of 30 standout bread recipes.

The dough is enriched with milk, butter, and brown sugar, and a quick dip in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels their distinctive flavor and golden crust. It’s easy to work with, whether you use a stand mixer or knead it by hand, and shaping the pretzels is much simpler than it looks. Finish them with coarse salt and melted butter, or skip the salt and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar for the sweet mall-pretzel version.

What You’ll Need To Make Soft Pretzels

• Milk: Using milk instead of water makes the dough richer and helps give these pretzels their soft texture and mall-style flavor.
• Butter: It goes into the dough for richness and is also brushed generously over the warm pretzels after baking.
• Light brown sugar: Adds the slight sweetness that gives these pretzels their Auntie Anne’s-style flavor.
• Instant/rapid-rise yeast: I like instant yeast because it can be mixed right into the dry ingredients—no need to proof it first. Active dry yeast works too; see the recipe notes for instructions.
• All-purpose flour: For the softest pretzels, be careful not to add too much. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
• Baking soda: A quick dip in a baking soda solution before baking gives the pretzels their characteristic flavor and deep golden crust—no boiling required.
• Coarse salt: Gives the pretzels their classic salty finish. I typically use coarse salt, but pretzel salt works well if you have it.
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

How To Make Soft Pretzels

Make the dough: Warm the milk and butter just until the butter melts, then stir in the brown sugar. Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the warm milk mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead the dough: Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. If it’s very sticky, add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time, but resist adding too much—the dough should stay soft.

Let it rise: Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and set it in a warm spot. It’s ready when it has roughly doubled in size.

Divide and roll: Gently deflate the risen dough and divide it into equal pieces. Keep the pieces covered with a damp towel as you work so they don’t dry out. Roll each piece into a long, even rope; if the dough springs back as you roll, let it rest briefly and try again.

Dip and shape: Dip each rope in the baking soda solution and let the excess drip off. Form it into a U, cross the ends to make a twist, then bring them down and press them onto the bottom of the pretzel. Shape the pretzels directly on the prepared baking sheet so you don’t have to move them again.

Bake and finish: Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt, then bake until deeply golden brown, keeping an eye on the bottoms, which can darken quickly. Brush generously with melted butter while they’re still warm.