Real Homemade Soft Pretzels

"These are just like the ones you get at the fair! Most recipes leave out the very important step of boiling before baking. You must do this to achieve the right results. *Prep time includes rising time."
 
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photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by PrimQuilter photo by PrimQuilter
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
Ready In:
2hrs 15mins
Ingredients:
9
Yields:
16 pretzels
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ingredients

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directions

  • In large bowl, stir yeast, sugar and warm water.
  • Let rest til yeast is dissolved and is a little foamy.
  • Stir in 1 cup flour. Then rest of flour mixed with the 1 Tbl salt.
  • Knead on lightly floured surface til smooth.
  • Place in oiled bowl, rolling around til all oiled. Cover and let rise till doubled in size.
  • Remove and knead again just a little bit, gently.
  • Cut into 16 pcs., roll each pc.into 14" ropes, shape into pretzels and place on greased cookie sheet.
  • Cover and let rise 15 minutes.
  • Drop each, one or 2 at a time into a small pot of boiling water, boiling each 1 minute, and replace back onto greased cookie sheet.
  • Brush each with eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl. water), sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in preheated 450º oven for 12-15 minutes! This is the best recipe to make real soft pretzels!

Questions & Replies

  1. What kind of yeast is used? Instant, dry or wet?
     
  2. can this be made in a bread machine?
     
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Reviews

  1. I've been baking pretzels for years, and I'm always looking for a new recipe, in search of the perfect pretzel. This one is very easy to make, but misses out on a couple of the important steps that make pretzels, well, pretzels. For starters, you're making them too small. Cut the dough into 8 pieces, and roll the ropes out 30-36" long. That gives you a "mall sized" pretzel. Usually 3-4 minutes kneading is enough; you don't want to dry out the dough or make it tough by over doing it. Do it by hand, it's more effort cleaning your mixer or food processor than the little bit of effort made in 150 kneads. Next, they absolutely HAVE to get an alkaline bath to get that Maillard reaction going, not just a boiling. This means either (or even both) a 30 sec dunk in 8c simmering water with 1/2c baking soda, or 15 seconds in a lye dip. Lye is the real way to go, but it's smart to wear rubber gloves and to very very gently stir to dissolve 30gm food grade lye powder in 1 litre of cool water. Malt syrup instead of white sugar or brown sugar gives a more robust pretzel taste too. Many recipes call for freezing the formed pretzel before they get dipped. This makes them easier to handle and they hold their shape in the dips. If you use the lye dip you don't need the egg wash; they get majestically brown all by themselves. I use a cooler oven for a bit longer, 425F for 21 minutes is about right. So I'd call this a "first time" recipe, which is fine. But a more advanced method will make a much better pretzel.
     
  2. This recipe is so easy to do, and it yields great results! I followed the recipe exactly, but when it came to the boiling part, I boiled them in 4 1/2 cups of water and 1/4 c. baking soda for 1 minute, flipping them over with a spider strainer after 30 seconds. I also followed aprons's suggestion and baked them at 425 degrees F, and mine were done in about 21 minutes. They seemed to become more dense and pretzel-y after cooling for several hours. I put sea salt on 4 of them, garlic salt on 4 of them, and left 8 plain. My husband and I loved these, thanks!
     
  3. My pretzels turned out to be more like pretzel knots because I think I didn't roll out the dough long enough. But they're still amazing and tasted great!
     
  4. These were very simple and tasty. All three of my kids enjoyed them. We made a 1/2 batch, knowing we would eat them all if we made a whole batch. Also, left some salty and others we dipped in melted butter and then in cinnamon and sugar. Yum!! So glad I didn't make a whole batch since my kids are going to friend's houses I would have been left alone to eat them.
     
  5. Will have to work on getting the shape right so it looks like a pretzel instead of a donut.
     
    • Review photo by Christopher R.
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Tweaks

  1. Kosher salt is a bit too fine. I will have to look into finding a larger grain salt.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Hello! Former caterer and restaurant owner taking life slower now and just enjoying photographing my food creations and blogging them! Pop on over to my blog to see over 800 of my recipes at Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen @ wildflourskitchen.com !
 
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