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Three golden brown crusted pretzel sprinkled with coarse sea salt/ kosher salt in a black plate.
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Easy Homemade Pretzel Recipe

Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Breads
Servings: 12 pretzels
Author: Ammu

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups Lukewarm Water
  • 2 ¼ tsp Yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Melted butter (unsalted) or any Refined Oil
  • 4-5 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)
  • 1½ tsp Salt (or as needed)
  • Coarse Sea Salt / Kosher Salt for sprinkling (optional)

Baking Soda Bath

  • 6 cups Water
  • ⅓ cup Baking Soda

Instructions

  • In a large bowl mix warm water, yeast and sugar. Let it foam and proof for 10 minutes.
  • Add the melted butter (or oil), flour and salt to this and mix well until combined. Then knead well to make a smooth dough.
  • Brush the bowl and dough with a little oil. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour. 
  • After 1 hour, prepare the baking soda bath. For this, mix the baking soda in 6 cups of water in a large vessel. Bring this to boil.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line the baking sheet or pan with parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with oil. Keep near to the soda bath.
  • Now transfer the dough to a working surface. Using a knife or pizza cutter, divide the dough into 12 pieces.
  • To make the traditional pretzel shape, take one piece and using your hands, roll to both sides to make a rope. The center part of the rope must be a little thicker than the ends. Place the rope in a 'U' shape. Twist both the ends. Bring it down and press the ends to the thick center of the rope. Repeat with all the pieces.
  • Now, add 1 pretzel at a time to the boiling baking soda bath. Cook for just 20-30 seconds. Not more than that. Remove the pretzel from the bath using a slotted flat spatula and place it on the baking sheets. Repeat the process with remaining pretzels.
  • Sprinkle each pretzel with some coarse sea salt.
  • Bake the pretzels in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown.
  • Enjoy the warm salty German pretzel.

Notes

  • You don't have to knead the dough after it had doubled in size. Just cut them into pieces.
  • You can skip the baking soda bath if wanted, But that is the one step that gives pretzel it's traditional taste. Cooking the pretzels in soda bath for more than 30 seconds will give it a metal like flavor which will not be that good.
  • Always keep the baking soda bath boiling when you add the pretzels. Do not lower the flame.
  • If skipping the soda bath, your pretzels will taste like a normal bread with some extra salt on top.
  • If you find it difficult to make the traditional pretzel shape, make it in any shape you want.
  • For a glazing texture, you can brush the pretzels with egg wash or simply brush with some milk after the soda bath but before sprinkling the salt. For egg wash beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp water.