Making soft pretzels is easier than you think! You don’t need a hand mixer, and you don’t even have to knead the dough. Simply form the dough into pretzels, dip in the baking soda mixture, and they’re ready to bake!

For more pretzel recipes, try our Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies or our Chocolate Pretzel Caramel Bars!

Why My Recipe

  • Perfectly soft and chewy pretzels with that gorgeous brown crust in about 45 minutes!
  • My shortcut, easy method gives a quick dip in hot baking soda water rather than boiling. gives that signature, chewy brown crust.
  • Made with simple and affordable pantry ingredients.
A hand holding a Soft Pretzel and dipping it into cheese sauce on a pan of freshly baked pretzels

Soft pretzels always make me think of walking around the mall as a teenager! We just had to stop to get a big, soft pretzel. But hear me out, once you make them at home, you’ll never go back to the food court again! These pretzels are warm and soft on the inside and perfectly chewy and salty on the outside. They’re so good, you’ll want to go back for seconds and thirds every time you make them (we don’t judge)!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for Soft Pretzels.
  • Water: Use lukewarm water (100-110°F) to help activate the yeast, and hot water to dip the pretzels in before baking.
  • Instant Dry Yeast: You can use active dry yeast in the same amount. You’ll just need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the rising time.
  • Brown Sugar: The sugar feeds the yeast and helps the crust brown. The small amount of molasses adds a little flavor as well.
  • All-purpose Flour: Bread flour can also be used for an even chewier pretzel.
  • Baking Soda: The baking soda is essential for the boiling step that gives these rolls their deep brown, chewy crust. No substitutions here—it’s the secret to that pretzel magic!
  • Melted Butter: Brushed on (or dipped in) after baking for a shiny finish and buttery flavor.
  • Coarse Salt: You’ll often find it labeled as kosher salt, coarse salt, or pretzel salt. If you don’t have coarse salt, you can use flaky sea salt, but avoid fine table salt. If you absolutely have ot use regular table salt, just know that you’ll need use far less.

The Science Behind Pretzel Making

For this recipe, we’re giving you a hack where you dip the dough in hot water instead of boiling them on the stovetop. The easiest option is to simply use the hottest water possible from the tap. Other options are to microwave, use an electric kettle, or you could always boil on the stovetop as usual.

Once you submerge the dough in the baking soda solution, it sets off a chemical reaction on the surface of the dough. The baking soda is alkaline, which changes the pH of the dough’s exterior, helping it form that signature deep brown crust when baked.

The hot water also gelatinizes the starches on the surface of the dough, creating a chewy exterior that contrasts perfectly with the soft crumb inside. This same technique is used to make bagels as well. This is how you get that signature chew.

Hands pulling apart a freshly baked Soft Pretzel to show the fluffy inside.

12 Perfect Pretzels

For pretzels that are all the same size (making an even dozen), simply weigh the dough in ounces before dividing the dough. Divide the total weight by 12. This will tell you how much each dough ball should weigh. As you are pinching dough off, weigh each one and add or remove dough as needed to keep them a similar size. You can also eyeball it, and keep them about the size of golf balls.

Flavor Variations

Cinnamon and Sugar: Simply sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top after brushing the pretzels with melted butter.

Everything Seasoning: Same as above, just sprinkle the seasoning on top after coating the pretzels in butter.

Cheese and Jalapeño: After dunking in the baking soda mixture, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese and a few pickled or fresh jalapeño slices right on top before baking. No need to brush melted butter on top of the cheese, as it may turn out too greasy.

Storage & Reheating

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To freeze, allow the rolls to cool completely, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat in the oven at 350°F 10 minutes or until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, thaw first before reheating in the oven.

Microwave pretzels for 10 to 15 seconds until warm.

More pretzels and rolls…