My soft pretzel recipe will quickly become your favorite appetizer to make! They have a chewy texture, golden brown exterior, and are waaaay better than any mall pretzel you’ve ever had!

Now listen, I love shaped pretzels as much as the next person but I have to admit… shaping them isn’t really my expertise. So, I decided to make bite sized pretzels with my pretzel dough! Feel free to shape pretzels however you’d like – this dough supports all shapes and sizes!

Making pretzels is so easy and I really hope you give it a try!

Why you’ll love these homemade soft pretzels

They’re easy to make. Mix everything in your KitchenAid, let the soft pretzel dough rise, shape, and bake! Easy peasy 🙂

The pretzel dough works with any pretzel shape you like. Whether you’re a fan of pretzel bites, pretzel twists, or the traditional “arms crossed” soft pretzels, this dough will support it all!

They’re taste the same the next day! These soft pretzels are best when served warm and right away, but when you make pretzel bites, there’s a good chance you’ll have leftovers!

Ingredients

To make homemade soft pretzels, you’ll need:

• Flour – I used all purpose flour for my soft pretzel dough. Using bread flour or whole wheat flour works just as well!
• Brown sugar – Used to sweeten the soft pretzels up a bit! I wouldn’t use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, the taste won’t be quite the same. Dark or light brown sugar both work.
• Water – You’ll need water in the soft pretzel dough as well as the baking soda bath.
• Active dry yeast – I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast for all of my dough recipes. It’s truly my favorite yeast out there!
• Butter – A little bit of melted butter helps to soften your pretzel dough (annnnd makes them taste even better).
• Salt – Flaky salt, that is! You’ll add it to your unbaked pretzels after their baking soda bath
• Baking soda – Used for the baking soda bath (AKA baking soda solution) before you bake the soft pretzel dough.
• Egg – Used for an egg wash before baking.
• Vegetable oil – Used to coat the bowl when the pretzel dough rises.

That’s all you need to make these easy soft pretzels! Along with a stand mixer, baking sheet, and parchment paper of course!

Also, these homemade soft pretzels are awesome when dipped in buffalo chicken soup… just sayin’.

How to make soft pretzels

Add the water, yeast, brown sugar, and melted butter to a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Let the yeast bloom for about 10-15 minutes, then add the flour and salt.

Mix together with the dough hook attachment until the pretzel dough starts to pull away from the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time. Knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Lift the soft pretzel dough out of the mixing bowl and lightly grease the bottom of the bowl with some vegetable oil. Gently place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel until it doubles in size (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Bring the baking soda along with 8 cups of water to a boil. While the water is boiling, shape your soft pretzels.

Tip: Silicone baking mats can also be used in place of parchment paper!

Drop them into the baking soda bath, in multiple batches to ensure they don’t stick together. Boil for about 25-30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon, and place on the prepared baking sheet. After all pretzels have gone into the baking soda bath, brush the tops with an egg wash and season generously with flaky sea salt.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they’ve puffed up a bit and are golden brown. Serve warm with some buffalo chicken soup, cheese sauce, or hot mustard and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Am I able to freeze homemade soft pretzels?

You are! Frozen pretzels will last up to two months in the freezer.

You can also shape your homemade soft pretzels and then place the frozen dough into the freezer for two months as well. Just make sure you thaw it in the fridge completely before baking!

How long do homemade soft pretzels last?

Baked pretzels can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days or up to one week in the fridge.

Am I able to reheat my soft pretzels?

Yes! Heat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and heat for 7-10 minutes.

Can I make this soft pretzel recipe ahead of time?

I’d only make it about 24 hours in advance – you don’t want the dough to sit for too long (unless you shape and freeze the soft pretzel dough).

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

These homemade soft pretzels are fluffy, buttery, and taste just like your favorite mall pretzels (without all of the preservatives). The dough is so easy to make and only needs an hour to rise!

• Author: Kayla
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Time Spent Rising: 1 Hour
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes
• Yield: 12 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the homemade soft pretzels:

• 1 packet Red Star yeast
• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 TBSP vegetable oil, to coat the bowl
• 1 TSP salt

For the baking soda bath:

• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup baking soda

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Add the water, yeast, brown sugar, and melted butter to a KitchenAid Mixer. Let the yeast bloom for about 10-15 minutes, then add the flour and salt. 
2. Mix together with the dough hook attachment until the pretzel dough starts to pull away from the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time. Knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
3. Lift the soft pretzel dough out of the mixing bowl and lightly grease the bottom of the bowl with some vegetable oil. Gently place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel until it doubles in size (about an hour).
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Bring the baking soda along with 8 cups of water to a boil. While the water is boiling, shape your soft pretzels. 
5. Drop them into the baking soda bath, in multiple batches to ensure they don’t stick together.  Boil for about 25-30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
6. After all pretzels have gone into the baking soda bath, brush the tops with an egg wash and season generously with flaky sea salt.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they’ve puffed up a bit and are golden brown. Serve with some buffalo chicken soup (or hot mustard) and enjoy!