Soft Pretzels
A good pretzel shouldn't be soft like a dinner roll throughout; it needs to be taut on the outside and yielding inside. Getting that result is all about managing the moisture in your dough and ensuring the soda bath is concentrated enough to react with the surface starches.
The dough needs a firm hand.
This is a low-hydration dough. It will feel stiff while kneading, but don't add extra water or you will lose the signature dense chew.
- stand mixer with dough hook
- wide, shallow pot for the soda bath
- slotted spatula
- baking sheet lined with parchment paper
What goes in.
- 1.5 cupswarm water (110°F)
- 1 tbspsugar
- 2 tspkosher salt
- 2.25 tspactive dry yeast
- 4.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 2 ozunsalted butter, melted
- 0.5 cupbaking soda
- 4 cupswater (for the soda bath)
- to tastecoarse pretzel salt
Mastering the soda bath
Submerge the shaped dough for exactly 30 seconds. The soda bath changes the surface pH, allowing the crust to brown rapidly and deeply in the oven.
The method.
Activate the yeast
Mix warm water, sugar, and yeast in the mixer bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it looks like a thin foam.
Mix the dough
Add flour, salt, and melted butter. Use the dough hook on low speed until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth.
First rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Shape the pretzels
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a 24-inch rope. Form a U-shape, twist the ends twice, and press them into the bottom of the U.
Boil
Bring 4 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil. Carefully drop in 2 pretzels at a time for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on the parchment-lined sheet.
Bake
Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 450°F for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they reach a dark, even copper color.
Other turns to take.
Cinnamon Sugar
Skip the salt. After baking, brush the hot pretzels with melted butter and dip them immediately into a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon.
Stuffed
Flatten the dough rope before twisting to enclose a stick of cheese or a strip of jalapeño inside the pretzel.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the rope keeps snapping back while rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten.
Do not skip the boiling step; skipping it will result in a standard bread roll rather than a pretzel.
Place the pretzels on the baking sheet immediately after the bath; they get tacky quickly and will stick to your counter.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use lye instead of baking soda?
Lye produces a more traditional, intense dark crust and flavor, but it is highly caustic. Baking soda is a safer, more accessible substitute that produces a similar effect.
How do I keep them from going stale?
Pretzels are best eaten within 4 hours of baking. Store them in a paper bag rather than plastic to prevent them from becoming soggy.
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