Hot Soft Baked Pretzel Recipe
Hand-made from scratch dough, glazed with butter.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Dough
Baking Soda Solution
Topping
Method
Preparing the Dough
- 1
Activate Yeast
In a large bowl, combine warm water (1.5 cups) and granulated sugar (1 tbsp). Sprinkle active dry yeast (2 tsp) on top and let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Mixing the Dough
Add all-purpose flour (4 cups), salt (1 tsp), and melted unsalted butter (4 tbsp) to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3
Kneading the Dough
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball.
- 4
First Rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm area for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shaping and Boiling
- 5
Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 6
Shape the Pretzels
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope (about 24 inches) and shape into a pretzel.
- 7
Prepare Baking Soda Solution
In a large pot, bring water (10 cups) to a boil. Once boiling, add baking soda (2 tbsp) carefully.
- 8
Boil the Pretzels
Boil each pretzel in the baking soda solution for about 30 seconds on each side, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Baking and Finishing
- 9
Bake the Pretzels
Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse sea salt (1 tbsp) and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- 10
- 11
Cool and Serve
Let the pretzels cool for a few minutes before serving warm. Enjoy your homemade hot soft baked pretzels!
