Homemade soft pretzels are a favorite in our home! They have a firm outer layer sprinkled with salt and soft, chewy bread on the inside. Combined make the best pretzels! We always love going to games or amusement parks just to find a pretzel. Now we can make them right in our own homes! From the list of ingredients to the instructions for pretzels, some may think this recipe is too difficult for them to make. I am here to tell you and show you just how easy this pretzel recipe is to set up and make. You will be making these weekly and your taste buds will be thanking you!
Homemade Soft Pretzels Ingredients
This buttery soft dough with a hint of salt in every bite is just what you are needing to make today! Soft pretzels are the perfect snack or appetizer to have on hand with the pantry staple ingredients. Get ready to make these more often than not!
Active dry yeast – This will help the pretzel dough raise Sugar – Sweetness to the yeast! Warm water – Yeast needs and feeds off of warm water. It is a MUST to have your water at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the yeast to work and set up. Oil – The vegetable oil is used for coating the dough to help from sticking to the bowl as well as adding flavor. If you do not have oil you can use melted butter. Flour – The base of the pretzel dough. It will help thicken and create the dough base. Baking soda – Holds up the dough and helps it raise. Salt – Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of the pretzel for a savory treat! Egg – Whisk the egg to make an egg wash. This will hold the salt on top of the pretzel.
Steps to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels
Don’t be intimidated by the instructions below. These steps are simple and easy to do. With the dough rising, you can even prepare other steps during that time. From start to finish it takes about 1 hour. It is worth it and will become a favorite snack for your family!
Soft Pretzel Toppings and Variations
Top your easy soft pretzels with some favorite toppings to create out-of-this-world flavors. These combinations are perfect and even hard to choose from when making this pretzel recipe.
Classic – There are so many ways you can top soft pretzels. Coarse salt is always a classic. Pizza flavor – Switch things up by adding shredded cheese or parmesan cheese. Savory – We have also added Italian seasoning to the top and dipped them in marinara. Sweet – You can get creative and make them sweet with a little cinnamon and sugar over the top. Stuffed – Try these Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzels (just like the pretzels at Disneyland)! You can also stuff them with cream cheese like the ones at the Refreshment Corner at Disneyland.
Favorite Dipping Sauces
If you are a dipper like us, you will love these choices of dipping sauces. Most of the sauces are homemade and add all the flavor with your pretzels. Try these dipping sauces each time you make easy soft pretzels!
Cheese – My favorite dipping sauce for soft pretzels is cheese sauce, especially nacho cheese sauce! Try it with this chili cheese dip too! Mustard – Mustard or our delicious honey mustard sauce is a sweet and savory pretzel. Red sauce – Marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce is always a classic breadstick combination. Ranch Dressing – Ranch dressing is always a family favorite for us. You can’t go wrong with ranch! White Sauce – Alfredo sauce is also a great, creamy dipping sauce for pretzels. SO good! Spicy – Try our Disneyland Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzels with any of these dipping sauces, too! Sweet – Add some cinnamon and sugar to your pretzel (instead of salt) and dip them in cream cheese frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting.
Tips for Fresh Soft Pretzels
Make the best soft pretzels using these helpful tips! Sometimes time is strained and skipping the baking soda bath can happen, mixing your dough with a mixer is helpful, as well as feeding a crowd and needing to keep the pretzels warm are all tips that need to be remembered!
Pretzel bath – If you don’t have time to do the baking soda bath, you can skip the bath and use an egg wash instead. When you are about done baking the pretzel, broil for the last two to three minutes to help get that golden brown feel and look. Mixer – When using a mixer make sure to use your dough hook attachment to help knead the dough while mixing it together. The dough hook is in an “S” shape to help push down and move the dough in a circular motion. The whisk or paddle attachment will not do the same. Keep warm – You can stack a good amount of pretzels in the slow cooker and the foil will help distribute the heat. Check them every once in a while and if they seem to be drying out, sprinkle a little water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Storing and Reheating Homemade Pretzels
Make soft pretzels ahead of time or reheat them after being stored! You can’t go wrong with making, storing, and even freezing pretzels. Having them on hand is made simple with these ideas!
Storing – Soft pretzels are meant to be eaten FRESH but you can store them in a zipper-sealed plastic bag with the air pressed out as much as possible for a day or two. Reheating – When re-heating, brush with a little water, and microwave for 10-15 seconds. You can also brush them with a little butter and bake them at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Freezing – You can freeze soft pretzels after baking and after you have allowed them to cool for a while.
More Bread Recipes
If you are a bread fan like us, you will lose these bread recipes that are quick and simple to make. It is easy to create some of the best bread recipes and here are some to start trying!
How to Make Homemade Soft Pretzels
Dutch Oven Bread
Breadsticks (Breadtwists)
Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia Bread
Brazilian Cheese Bread
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review. Rate and Review
