Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe as an Appetizer (or Dinner!)
Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe as an Appetizer
(Or Dinner!)
We love soft baked pretzels, love, love, love them. At times we’ll even actually make a separate stop into Sam’s Club to grab one of their soft baked pretzels and cheese dip – I tell ya… it’s a serious obsession…
So, recently when we were heading to a football party, I knew the kids would love to take some pretzels and cheese dip as our fun thing to contribute to the party. Only I had no idea how to make homemade pretzels. So, as nervous as I was, I set out to make soft pretzel bites. They were SO good!
I will say, to make about 80 pretzel bites it took me about 1 hour including cleanup – so not too bad at all.
Items I used for this recipe:
Here’s how I got these delicious morsels done – and you’ll find a printable recipe below as well. Or, pin this recipe so you’ve got it for when you’re ready to make these delicious soft pretzel pieces.
Pour warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer (I put notes below in case you don’t have a stand mixer) and sprinkle yeast over top of milk. Add honey and stir the mixture. Allow the yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes and once it is nice and foamy, it is ready. To make my milk the right temperature, I microwaved the milk in a Pyrex measuring cup for 1 minute.
Next add your flour and salt to the mixer and knead on low for about 3 minutes. If you need to, add flour one tablespoon at time as needed. Your dough will be tacky, but not sticky.
Wash and dry a part of your countertop to roll out dough – do not flour the countertop, though.
Cut your dough into fourparts and roll each pretzel dough ball into 20-24 inch long line of dough.
Cut the line of dough into bite size pieces with a butter knife or dough cutterand place pieces onto a plate.
Fill a large potwith water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your water slowly. It will bubble up as you add it so be prepared for that.
Add your pretzel pieces to the boiling water 10-15 at a time for 30 seconds or so.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush each pretzel piece with egg wash with an egg wash brush like this and sprinkle with coarse salt. I love sea salt!
Bake in preheated450°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
YUM!
Tips:
If you won’t be serving these right away, you will not want to close them in a sealed container. The salt will fall off and they will become mushy. Let them dry and cool completely and then seal them in a bowl or container.
I bought my cheese dip from the store. My grocery had the “soft pretzel cheese dip” with the ethnic foods in the Mexican food area. It is so good and I use it on nachos, too.
The homemade soft pretzels are soft and fantastic - warm and chewy and delicious.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 80 pretzel bites
Author Kate
Ingredients
- 2¼teaspoonsactive dry yeastless then one packet
- 1¼cupswarm milk110°-120°F if you have a thermometer, otherwise 1 minute or so in the microwave
- 2tablespoonshoney
- 3¼cupsall purpose flourI use unbleached
- 1teaspoonsea salt
- ½cupbaking soda
- 1large egg
- coarse saltpretzel salt or I like sea salt if you have it
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Pour milk into the bowl of a stand mixer
Sprinkle yeast over top of milk
Add honey and stir
Allow yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy
Add flour and salt to mixer
Knead for about 3 minutes until the dough comes together in one ball
Wash countertop (do not flour)
Place dough on countertop and form dough into a ball, cut into four pieces
Roll each quarter into an 20-24" strand and cut into pieces using a butter knife or dough cutter
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat
Make egg wash with one egg and 2 T of water
Carefully, add baking soda to boiling water
Place dough bites into boiling water about 10-15 at a time
Remove with a slotted spoon after 30 seconds
Boil all pieces and place on parchment paper
Brush egg wash onto each one and sprinkle with coarse salt
Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops are browned
If you do not have a stand mixer, mix the dough by hand with a spoon. Turn dough out onto floured counter top and knead for 3-5 minutes until dough is no longer sticky and proceed with directions.
If you like this Pretzel Bites recipe, you may also be interested in these posts below. Simply click on the picture to go to each post.
Recipe adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian.
FAQs
Pretzels are dipped in food-grade lye before baking. It gives them a characteristic shine and flavor.
How do you keep soft pretzels soft for a party? ›
Soft pretzels are a delicious treat, and they are best served warm. Commercial pretzel warmers are the best way to keep these snacks soft and delicious. To warm pretzels at home, you can heat them in an oven or microwave, then transfer them to a ceramic bread warmer.
Can pretzel dough sit overnight? ›
While an option for making quick pretzels is given, too, I highly recommend the overnight method because the dough's flavor really develops during the slow fermentation, becoming nuanced with a yeasty tang that is worth every moment of anticipation.
How do you keep soft pretzels from getting soggy? ›
Refrigerating soft pretzels can turn them soggy and affect their flavor. Freezing pretzels, however, will help retain their texture and softness. You can freeze most food that's properly stored indefinitely, and the food will still be safe to eat.
What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›
Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains. It can even dissolve glass.
What gives soft pretzels their flavor? ›
What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.
How do you keep soft pretzel bites warm for a party? ›
Simply wrap all the pretzel bites tightly in foil, sealing the edges together, then place in your oven on “keep warm,” or 170F.
Should homemade soft pretzels be refrigerated? ›
Remove from the oven and serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce. Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds, or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
How long do homemade soft pretzels last? ›
How long do soft pretzels last? Soft Pretzels are best eaten the same day and even better when still slightly warm. If you do have leftovers, then you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze homemade soft pretzels? ›
Store the baked pretzels in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. The longer they're frozen, the more the pretzel salt will dissolve into the pretzels, but they'll still taste great. Defrost by letting them sit on the counter for about an hour. Or, simply microwave for about 30 seconds.
Like lye, baking soda is an alkaline substance, and when mixed with water and brushed over the pretzel dough, it changes the pH of the dough and gelates the surface starch. In the oven, the starch gel hardens and the alkaline baking soda makes browning happen fast.
How do you get salt to stick to pretzels? ›
A: Simple. Wet your fingers and moisten the surface of the pretzel. Sprinkle salt immediately and it will stick.
How do you make soft pretzels last longer? ›
Storing Freshly Baked Soft Pretzels
Room Temperature for Short-Term: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature if enjoying within a couple of days. Refrigerate for a Little Longer: Wrapped pretzels can be refrigerated for up to a week.
How do you keep salted soft pretzels fresh overnight? ›
Storing pretzels properly will preserve their soft, fresh, flavorful quality. First, note that open air and direct sunlight will quickly turn soft pretzels stale. To remedy this, once cooled, sprinkle some salt over the soft pretzels, then seal them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Why are my homemade pretzels so dense? ›
Try not to over-flour the dough because it will make the pretzels denser and tougher. If you're not using a stand mixer, stir to combine with a wooden spoon and then knead with your hands for 5 minutes and until a smooth dough forms.
What is the Flavouring on pretzels? ›
Salt is the most common seasoning, or topping, for pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional skin and flavor acquired through the Maillard reaction. Other toppings are mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, sweet glazing, seeds, and nuts.
What is the chemical dip on pretzels? ›
The dipping stage normally takes just 10-15 seconds of exposure to the hot alkaline solution which is about 200°F. Traditionally the solution was a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water. Today, most production involves the use of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate solutions which are not as caustic as NaOH.
What is the secret solution for Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›
Brown Sugar- brown sugar is what Auntie Anne's pretzels, use for their pretzel dough. Salt- use good quality sea salt. Baking powder- works as a dough conditioner for these soft homemade pretzels. Basic Alkaline wash- is a simple baking soda and water solution made for dipping pretzels in.
What makes pretzels smell like pretzels? ›
After removing other scent molecules individually, the researchers found two molecules that are essential to the unique pretzel scent: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which has a roasted smell, and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, which has a caramel smell.
