These buttery soft pretzels are super easy to make, require no boiling, and a quick one-hour rise. They are a huge crowd-pleaser! Soft, delicious, and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.!
I knew I would love Vicki the moment I met her, which was two summers ago during our annual trip to Lake George with Ben’s family. Vicki is my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, she is 100% Greek, and food is her love language.
Five minutes after her arrival, she knocked on our door, her hands loaded with goodies, coloring books and colored pencils for the children, and an enormous Tupperware filled with koulourakia, the twisted Greek Easter cookie, perfect for dunking in coffee or tea, for us.
As the week went on, Vicki would bestow us with more treats, including chicken cordon bleu, tacos served in flat-bottomed, stand-up shells, and, most memorably, these buttery soft pretzels. When I asked Vicki if it was OK if I shared the recipe here, she said, Of course , noting she got the recipe years ago by searching online for an Auntie Anne’s pretzel recipe.
PS: Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls
Super Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil.
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
Add the water and oil.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead briefly until…
… dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about 1 minute.
Alternatively, this can all be mixed in a stand mixer, which will take 2 to 3 minutes total. I actually prefer making these in the stand mixer now — it’s fast and less messy.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
The dough may not necessarily double in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, using flour as needed:
If you care about being precise, you can cut and weigh each one — 75 grams each is about right.
Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. You’re going to roll them out longer afterward, but I find that rolling them once, then letting them rest, allows the gluten to relax a bit and allows you to roll them out longer more easily the next time around.
After all 12 have been rolled out once, roll each one out to 22 to 24 inches long:
How to Shape Pretzels
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
I like to transfer the pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan as I shape.
Once shaped, dissolve 1/2 cup baking soda into 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water or you can boil water.
Working with one pretzel at a time, dip each one into the water, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 425ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush with melted butter immediately.
Transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Serve warm. So good.
Description
These homemade fresh soft pretzels are buttery soft in texture, perfectly sweet and salty, and astonishingly simple to make: they require a quick kneading (by hand or in a mixer), a simple shaping, and no boiling. They are a massive hit with adults and children alike and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.
Adapted from my brother-in-law’s most wonderful girlfriend, Vicki Roberts.
Notes:
- Yeast: If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
- Salt: I’ve been using fine sea salt in my bread recipes recently, but kosher salt is fine, too.
- Sugar : I tried several batches with lower amounts of sugar, and they just weren’t quite the same in texture, taste, and appearance.
For the dough:
- 5 cups ( 640 grams ) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ( 8 grams ) instant yeast, see notes above if using active-dry
- 1.5 teaspoons ( 9 grams ) salt
- 1/2 cup ( 110 grams ) sugar
- 1.5 cups ( 350 grams ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon ( 15 grams ) neutral oil or olive oil
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup ( 115 g ) baking soda
- 4 cups hot water
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Alternatively, you can do this all in your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. (The stand mixer is my preferred method.)
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. Dough will not necessarily double in volume. This is fine.
- Heat oven to 425ºF.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Also: Be careful about using too much flour here: it will make it difficult to roll out…just use a sprinkling to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll each portion into a 12-inch (roughly) log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will allow the gluten to relax, making them easier to roll out longer later.
- Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape. See video or photos for guidance. At this point, I like to transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan.
- When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water — I’ve been using my electric kettle. Stir to dissolve the baking soda.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Note: I like to drop the pretzel in top-side down, then I use the spider to remove it and flip it onto the sheet pan top-side up. I find dipping it top-side down ensures the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning.) Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Transfer pan — I like to bake one pan at a time — to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pan of pretzels.
- Let cool briefly. Serve warm. Pretzels reheat nicely — I love them halved, toasted, and spread with butter.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
These buttery soft pretzels are super easy to make, require no boiling, and a quick one-hour rise. They are a huge crowd-pleaser! Soft, delicious, and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.!
I knew I would love Vicki the moment I met her, which was two summers ago during our annual trip to Lake George with Ben’s family. Vicki is my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, she is 100% Greek, and food is her love language.
Five minutes after her arrival, she knocked on our door, her hands loaded with goodies, coloring books and colored pencils for the children, and an enormous Tupperware filled with koulourakia, the twisted Greek Easter cookie, perfect for dunking in coffee or tea, for us.
As the week went on, Vicki would bestow us with more treats, including chicken cordon bleu, tacos served in flat-bottomed, stand-up shells, and, most memorably, these buttery soft pretzels. When I asked Vicki if it was OK if I shared the recipe here, she said, Of course , noting she got the recipe years ago by searching online for an Auntie Anne’s pretzel recipe.
PS: Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls
Super Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil.
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
Add the water and oil.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead briefly until…
… dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about 1 minute.
Alternatively, this can all be mixed in a stand mixer, which will take 2 to 3 minutes total. I actually prefer making these in the stand mixer now — it’s fast and less messy.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
The dough may not necessarily double in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, using flour as needed:
If you care about being precise, you can cut and weigh each one — 75 grams each is about right.
Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. You’re going to roll them out longer afterward, but I find that rolling them once, then letting them rest, allows the gluten to relax a bit and allows you to roll them out longer more easily the next time around.
After all 12 have been rolled out once, roll each one out to 22 to 24 inches long:
How to Shape Pretzels
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
I like to transfer the pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan as I shape.
Once shaped, dissolve 1/2 cup baking soda into 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water or you can boil water.
Working with one pretzel at a time, dip each one into the water, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 425ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush with melted butter immediately.
Transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Serve warm. So good.
Description
These homemade fresh soft pretzels are buttery soft in texture, perfectly sweet and salty, and astonishingly simple to make: they require a quick kneading (by hand or in a mixer), a simple shaping, and no boiling. They are a massive hit with adults and children alike and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.
Adapted from my brother-in-law’s most wonderful girlfriend, Vicki Roberts.
Notes:
- Yeast: If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
- Salt: I’ve been using fine sea salt in my bread recipes recently, but kosher salt is fine, too.
- Sugar : I tried several batches with lower amounts of sugar, and they just weren’t quite the same in texture, taste, and appearance.
For the dough:
- 5 cups ( 640 grams ) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ( 8 grams ) instant yeast, see notes above if using active-dry
- 1.5 teaspoons ( 9 grams ) salt
- 1/2 cup ( 110 grams ) sugar
- 1.5 cups ( 350 grams ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon ( 15 grams ) neutral oil or olive oil
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup ( 115 g ) baking soda
- 4 cups hot water
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Alternatively, you can do this all in your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. (The stand mixer is my preferred method.)
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. Dough will not necessarily double in volume. This is fine.
- Heat oven to 425ºF.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Also: Be careful about using too much flour here: it will make it difficult to roll out…just use a sprinkling to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll each portion into a 12-inch (roughly) log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will allow the gluten to relax, making them easier to roll out longer later.
- Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape. See video or photos for guidance. At this point, I like to transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan.
- When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water — I’ve been using my electric kettle. Stir to dissolve the baking soda.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Note: I like to drop the pretzel in top-side down, then I use the spider to remove it and flip it onto the sheet pan top-side up. I find dipping it top-side down ensures the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning.) Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Transfer pan — I like to bake one pan at a time — to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pan of pretzels.
- Let cool briefly. Serve warm. Pretzels reheat nicely — I love them halved, toasted, and spread with butter.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
These buttery soft pretzels are super easy to make, require no boiling, and a quick one-hour rise. They are a huge crowd-pleaser! Soft, delicious, and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.!
I knew I would love Vicki the moment I met her, which was two summers ago during our annual trip to Lake George with Ben’s family. Vicki is my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, she is 100% Greek, and food is her love language.
Five minutes after her arrival, she knocked on our door, her hands loaded with goodies, coloring books and colored pencils for the children, and an enormous Tupperware filled with koulourakia, the twisted Greek Easter cookie, perfect for dunking in coffee or tea, for us.
As the week went on, Vicki would bestow us with more treats, including chicken cordon bleu, tacos served in flat-bottomed, stand-up shells, and, most memorably, these buttery soft pretzels. When I asked Vicki if it was OK if I shared the recipe here, she said, Of course , noting she got the recipe years ago by searching online for an Auntie Anne’s pretzel recipe.
PS: Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls
Super Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil.
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
Add the water and oil.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead briefly until…
… dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about 1 minute.
Alternatively, this can all be mixed in a stand mixer, which will take 2 to 3 minutes total. I actually prefer making these in the stand mixer now — it’s fast and less messy.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
The dough may not necessarily double in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, using flour as needed:
If you care about being precise, you can cut and weigh each one — 75 grams each is about right.
Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. You’re going to roll them out longer afterward, but I find that rolling them once, then letting them rest, allows the gluten to relax a bit and allows you to roll them out longer more easily the next time around.
After all 12 have been rolled out once, roll each one out to 22 to 24 inches long:
How to Shape Pretzels
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
I like to transfer the pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan as I shape.
Once shaped, dissolve 1/2 cup baking soda into 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water or you can boil water.
Working with one pretzel at a time, dip each one into the water, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 425ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush with melted butter immediately.
Transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Serve warm. So good.
Description
These homemade fresh soft pretzels are buttery soft in texture, perfectly sweet and salty, and astonishingly simple to make: they require a quick kneading (by hand or in a mixer), a simple shaping, and no boiling. They are a massive hit with adults and children alike and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.
Adapted from my brother-in-law’s most wonderful girlfriend, Vicki Roberts.
Notes:
- Yeast: If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
- Salt: I’ve been using fine sea salt in my bread recipes recently, but kosher salt is fine, too.
- Sugar : I tried several batches with lower amounts of sugar, and they just weren’t quite the same in texture, taste, and appearance.
For the dough:
- 5 cups ( 640 grams ) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ( 8 grams ) instant yeast, see notes above if using active-dry
- 1.5 teaspoons ( 9 grams ) salt
- 1/2 cup ( 110 grams ) sugar
- 1.5 cups ( 350 grams ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon ( 15 grams ) neutral oil or olive oil
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup ( 115 g ) baking soda
- 4 cups hot water
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Alternatively, you can do this all in your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. (The stand mixer is my preferred method.)
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. Dough will not necessarily double in volume. This is fine.
- Heat oven to 425ºF.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Also: Be careful about using too much flour here: it will make it difficult to roll out…just use a sprinkling to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll each portion into a 12-inch (roughly) log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will allow the gluten to relax, making them easier to roll out longer later.
- Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape. See video or photos for guidance. At this point, I like to transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan.
- When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water — I’ve been using my electric kettle. Stir to dissolve the baking soda.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Note: I like to drop the pretzel in top-side down, then I use the spider to remove it and flip it onto the sheet pan top-side up. I find dipping it top-side down ensures the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning.) Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Transfer pan — I like to bake one pan at a time — to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pan of pretzels.
- Let cool briefly. Serve warm. Pretzels reheat nicely — I love them halved, toasted, and spread with butter.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
These buttery soft pretzels are super easy to make, require no boiling, and a quick one-hour rise. They are a huge crowd-pleaser! Soft, delicious, and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.!
I knew I would love Vicki the moment I met her, which was two summers ago during our annual trip to Lake George with Ben’s family. Vicki is my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, she is 100% Greek, and food is her love language.
Five minutes after her arrival, she knocked on our door, her hands loaded with goodies, coloring books and colored pencils for the children, and an enormous Tupperware filled with koulourakia, the twisted Greek Easter cookie, perfect for dunking in coffee or tea, for us.
As the week went on, Vicki would bestow us with more treats, including chicken cordon bleu, tacos served in flat-bottomed, stand-up shells, and, most memorably, these buttery soft pretzels. When I asked Vicki if it was OK if I shared the recipe here, she said, Of course , noting she got the recipe years ago by searching online for an Auntie Anne’s pretzel recipe.
PS: Homemade Soft Pretzel Rolls
Super Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil.
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
Add the water and oil.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead briefly until…
… dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about 1 minute.
Alternatively, this can all be mixed in a stand mixer, which will take 2 to 3 minutes total. I actually prefer making these in the stand mixer now — it’s fast and less messy.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
The dough may not necessarily double in volume.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, using flour as needed:
If you care about being precise, you can cut and weigh each one — 75 grams each is about right.
Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. You’re going to roll them out longer afterward, but I find that rolling them once, then letting them rest, allows the gluten to relax a bit and allows you to roll them out longer more easily the next time around.
After all 12 have been rolled out once, roll each one out to 22 to 24 inches long:
How to Shape Pretzels
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
I like to transfer the pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan as I shape.
Once shaped, dissolve 1/2 cup baking soda into 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water or you can boil water.
Working with one pretzel at a time, dip each one into the water, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 425ºF for 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush with melted butter immediately.
Transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Serve warm. So good.
Description
These homemade fresh soft pretzels are buttery soft in texture, perfectly sweet and salty, and astonishingly simple to make: they require a quick kneading (by hand or in a mixer), a simple shaping, and no boiling. They are a massive hit with adults and children alike and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.
Adapted from my brother-in-law’s most wonderful girlfriend, Vicki Roberts.
Notes:
- Yeast: If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
- Salt: I’ve been using fine sea salt in my bread recipes recently, but kosher salt is fine, too.
- Sugar : I tried several batches with lower amounts of sugar, and they just weren’t quite the same in texture, taste, and appearance.
For the dough:
- 5 cups ( 640 grams ) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ( 8 grams ) instant yeast, see notes above if using active-dry
- 1.5 teaspoons ( 9 grams ) salt
- 1/2 cup ( 110 grams ) sugar
- 1.5 cups ( 350 grams ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon ( 15 grams ) neutral oil or olive oil
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup ( 115 g ) baking soda
- 4 cups hot water
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Alternatively, you can do this all in your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. (The stand mixer is my preferred method.)
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. Dough will not necessarily double in volume. This is fine.
- Heat oven to 425ºF.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Also: Be careful about using too much flour here: it will make it difficult to roll out…just use a sprinkling to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll each portion into a 12-inch (roughly) log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will allow the gluten to relax, making them easier to roll out longer later.
- Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape. See video or photos for guidance. At this point, I like to transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan.
- When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water — I’ve been using my electric kettle. Stir to dissolve the baking soda.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Note: I like to drop the pretzel in top-side down, then I use the spider to remove it and flip it onto the sheet pan top-side up. I find dipping it top-side down ensures the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning.) Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Transfer pan — I like to bake one pan at a time — to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pan of pretzels.
- Let cool briefly. Serve warm. Pretzels reheat nicely — I love them halved, toasted, and spread with butter.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These homemade fresh soft pretzels are buttery soft in texture, perfectly sweet and salty, and astonishingly simple to make: they require a quick kneading (by hand or in a mixer), a simple shaping, and no boiling. They are a massive hit with adults and children alike and truly irresistible straight out of the oven.
Adapted from my brother-in-law’s most wonderful girlfriend, Vicki Roberts.
Notes:
- Yeast: If you are using active dry yeast, sprinkle it over the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
- Salt: I’ve been using fine sea salt in my bread recipes recently, but kosher salt is fine, too.
- Sugar : I tried several batches with lower amounts of sugar, and they just weren’t quite the same in texture, taste, and appearance.
For the dough:
- 5 cups ( 640 grams ) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ( 8 grams ) instant yeast, see notes above if using active-dry
- 1.5 teaspoons ( 9 grams ) salt
- 1/2 cup ( 110 grams ) sugar
- 1.5 cups ( 350 grams ) warm water
- 1 tablespoon ( 15 grams ) neutral oil or olive oil
For finishing:
- 1/2 cup ( 115 g ) baking soda
- 4 cups hot water
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Alternatively, you can do this all in your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. (The stand mixer is my preferred method.)
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. Dough will not necessarily double in volume. This is fine.
- Heat oven to 425ºF.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Also: Be careful about using too much flour here: it will make it difficult to roll out…just use a sprinkling to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Roll each portion into a 12-inch (roughly) log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will allow the gluten to relax, making them easier to roll out longer later.
- Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape. See video or photos for guidance. At this point, I like to transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan.
- When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water — I’ve been using my electric kettle. Stir to dissolve the baking soda.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan. (Note: I like to drop the pretzel in top-side down, then I use the spider to remove it and flip it onto the sheet pan top-side up. I find dipping it top-side down ensures the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning.) Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
- Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Transfer pan — I like to bake one pan at a time — to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
- Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pan of pretzels.
- Let cool briefly. Serve warm. Pretzels reheat nicely — I love them halved, toasted, and spread with butter.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2022/09/04/buttery-soft-pretzels-easy-no-boil/
Made with only four ingredients, these thin and crispy sourdough discard crackers are so easy to make and are so, so tasty: buttery and flaky with a perfect tang. The seasonings can be adapted to your tastes and preferences, and the dough freezes well, too 🎉
If you are looking for a simple way to put your sourdough discard to good use, look no further. These crackers, made with three basic ingredients — flour, salt, and butter — plus a hefty amount of sourdough discard, will make you never want to discard your discard again.
The recipe and method produce a thin and crispy cracker, buttery and flaky, with the perfect tang. They’re delicious on their own, but even better topped with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
What’s more, while the recipe is simple, it can be gussied up in countless ways by using various flours, adding herbs or spices to the dough itself, or topping them with various seeds or seed mixes: sesame, everything bagel, dukkah .
Find step-by-step instructions below, and find notes in the recipe box on how to make the dough ahead of time or freeze it for future use.
PS: How to Build A Sourdough Starter From Scratch
How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers, Step by Step
Place 200 grams of sourdough discard in a large bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of rye flour, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, butter, and salt. (You can use any mix of flours you like.)
Mix until you have a cohesive dough ball.
Cut the dough in half and pat it into two rectangles.
Wrap each in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight vessel) and chill for 30 minutes or longer.
Unwrap and roll the portion out as thinly as possible on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Use the plastic wrap, too, to prevent sticking.
It’s OK if the finished shape is amoeba-shaped.
The key is to roll the dough thin.
Cut into cracker shapes — squares, rectangles, whatever you like. Brush with olive oil.
Season as you wish: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or simply flaky sea salt.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until evenly golden — you do not want to underbake these.
Update! A Solution to overcooked edges? Bake the crackers on an upside-down sheet pan:
Store them in an airtight vessel at room temperature for 1 week or freeze for longer storage.
Such a treat to have on hand! And so simple!
Description
Made with only four ingredients, these thin and crispy sourdough discard crackers are so easy to make and are so, so tasty: buttery and flaky with a perfect tang. The seasonings can be adapted to your tastes and preferences, and the dough freezes well, too 🎉
This recipe has been adapted from A Year at Catbird Cottage and King Arthur Flour . Melina’s recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary, and King Arthur Flour’s recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of dried herbs, so feel free to add those if you have them.
Having made these several times now, I think there are two places where things can go wrong:
- Not rolling them out thinly enough.
- Not baking them long enough.
Once I made both mistakes, and the crackers were too thick and not crisp. That said, looking at the photos both on the KAF website and in Melina’s book, I think if you want to make them slightly thicker, though no thicker than 1/16-inch thick, you can as long as you bake them long enough — an even golden brown color is the visual cue you are looking for.
Notes:
If you don’t have rye flour, you can simply use all all-purpose flour or you can use any other flour you have on hand, such as spelt, or any variety of freshly milled flour, etc.
If you don’t have a starter but want to make these, stir together 100 grams water with 100 grams flour in a small bowl the night before you want to bake these. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest at room temperature. Use the entire mix as your starter the following day.
If you want help getting started with sourdough bread baking, I have a free email course: Sourdough Demystified .
1 cup ( 200 g ) sourdough discard (unfed sourdough starter)
1/2 cup ( 56 g ) rye flour, see notes
1/2 cup ( 56 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 3 g ) kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to salt)
4 tablespoons ( 57g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
olive oil, for brushing
flaky sea salt for sprinkling or sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning
- Mix together the sourdough starter, flours, salt, and butter until you have a cohesive dough. It’s OK if it’s a little sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide into two portions, pat each into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight vessel), and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or longer — I’ve done this 24 hours in advance — until the dough is firm.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, unwrap the plastic wrap and reserve it. Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, a rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
- Place the dough onto the floured parchment paper, and place the sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough as thinly as possible (see notes above), using your rolling pin to disperse it as evenly as possible over the parchment paper. It’s OK if the edges are ragged, but do try to make the dough as thin as possible — if it’s too thick, the crackers won’t be crisp.
- Transfer the dough-topped parchment sheet onto a baking sheet. UPDATE: Transfer the dough-topped parchment sheet to an upside-down baking sheet. This prevents over-baked edges. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt (and/or other toppings) over the top of the dough. UPDATE: To help keep the seasonings in place, lay a sheet of parchment paper over the crackers, and run your rolling pin across the surface to embed the seasonings into the dough.
- Cut the dough as you wish. I like to do long strips, about 1.25 to 1.5 inches wide. I use my bench scraper, but a pizza wheel works well here, too.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crackers are evenly light brown. Depending on how thinly you’ve rolled them, they may be done closer to 25 minutes, but do check at the 20-minute mark.
- When fully browned, remove the crackers from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool. I like to let the crackers cool completely on the sheet pan, which ensures they will be crisp ultimately.
- Repeat with the remaining portion of dough or keep it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use it.
- Store crackers in an airtight vessel at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Sourdough
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
