Perfect Soft Pretzels

Intro: Perfect Soft Pretzels

Nothing beats a buttery soft pretzel. They're pretty easy and fun to make. Playing with the dough and making different shapes is super fun for all ages. But eating them is the best part.

STEP 1: Gather Your Ingredients

You'll need flour, sugar, baking soda, salt (regular table salt and coarse salt), active dry yeast, and butter (or margarine). This recipe makes a lot of pretzels, so feel free to half the recipe if you don't want that many. You can however freeze the extra pretzels and microwave them later. They are quite tasty and much cheaper than the store-bought ones.

STEP 2: Yeast

Mix 3 packets of active dry yeast, and 2 teaspoons of sugar into 2 and 1/2 cups of very warm water. Mix until all is dissolved and set to the side while you get everything else together. It will start getting bubbly. Don't worry. It's supposed to. And yes, it has a very yeasty aroma. That's ok too.

STEP 3: Everything Else

Go ahead and start melting 5 tablespoons of butter or margarine, but don't add it yet. Put 9 cups of all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Of course a flour war may ensue if you have helpers, but try to at least get what you need in the bowl first. Then add a cup of sugar and 3 teaspoons of salt. Blend well.

STEP 4: You Really "Knead" It

Now you put it all together. Make a little well in the center of the flour mix and pour in the butter and the yeast mixture. Stir it up as much as you can until it starts getting really thick. Then start kneading it with your hands. It will get messy. Knead it until all ingredients are well blended and no flour remains on the side of the bowl. Should take quite a few minutes. Add a very small amount of water if needed in order to get all the flour blended in. When it is all kneaded and ready, place it into a greased bowl, spray a little cooking spray on top of the dough (so it doesn't get dry or crusty), and cover it. Leave it sit for at least an hour to rise. It should double in size.

STEP 5: Punch It

*Boxing gloves are not really recommended for use in the kitchen. Once the dough has doubled in size, uncover it and punch it down. It's kinda neat watching it deflate.

STEP 6: Baking Soda Bath

This part seems strange, but it's very scientific. Google it if you don't believe me, but the chemical reaction this makes with the dough is what gives it that pretzely color and texture on the outside. So all you do is take about 5 cups of water and half a cup of baking soda and mix it well. Set it to the side. You'll be using it soon.

STEP 7: Play With Your Dough

Now comes the fun part. Separate your dough into as many pieces as you want. Roll it out and twist it up to make pretzel shapes, other designs, make smiley faces, peace signs, or cut it up into small pretzel bites. Whatever you make, dip it in the baking soda bath and set it on some wax paper, so the excess water can run off. Sprinkle with the coarse salt. (If you'd rather have cinnamon/sugar pretzels, don't put the salt on. Just dip the dough and set it down on the wax paper.)

STEP 8: Baking

Go ahead and begin preheating your oven to 350. Carefully place pretzels on a greased baking sheet and let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes to rise up again a bit. I actually have 2 ovens, so I proof them in one on a low, warm temp. They rise up a little faster that way, but you don't have to do that. Then just bake them on 350 for about 8 minutes, depending on size, until they are a golden brown color. Take them out and brush them with melted butter. (This is when you'd sprinkle on the cinnamon/sugar if that's the way you want them.)

STEP 9: Eat 'Em

Eat up. These are best fresh, but as I said, you can freeze them and reheat them later. We usually don't have enough left to save though. They're so soft and buttery and good, we devour them all.

Comments

[Sawowie XD]

these are the best pretzels, the flavour, takes me back to america

[groovymama]

Thank you so much!

[ForbiddenFig403]

If not making with kids (or at least you can make and mix this part on your own, it's safe to touch as long as you rinse the area off after getting on you and won't react badly with metals like lye can), you can try this instead. A recipe I tried out for pretzels said, "Line a small baking sheet with foil and spread the 1/3 cup baking soda on it. Bake in a 250ºF oven for one hour while you make the pretzel dough." 1/2 cup like you used would work the same way. You are essentially creating washing soda, which has a closer pH to lye than baking soda does. I can attest that it's safe to eat!

[groovymama]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[m_tahir]

My pretzels stick with the wax paper ...

[groovymama]

That's strange. You didn't cook them on the wax paper though, right? It was just to put them on to drain off the excess water. I've never had any stick before.

[brightcounts]

I loved viewing the happy interaction of the
Family most... And canlt wait to Mae these. Thank you.

[groovymama]

Thank you so much! The kids make it so much more fun. Their friends are even joining in now.

[Consider My Solution]

I realize how "groovy" you are, but is it possible to add a more traditional itemized menu list somewhere for your pretzel recipe? Thanks!

[Consider My Solution]

Ok, let's call it a "recipe." Your recipe is spread out all through the page and separated by photos.

Not trying to be a pain, but you have people commenting about making mixing mistakes.

[groovymama]

A lot of Instructables are laid out in the step by step format with pictures of each step to help visualize what you're doing, but I guess it's not for everyone. Hope the "recipe card" way is more useful to you. Thanks for your interest.

[groovymama]

Ah yes. Well we all make mistakes sometimes. Especially when trying out a new recipe. I believe I understand whAt it is you want. Perhaps this will help.

INGREDIENTS
3 packets active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups very warm water
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
9 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons of salt
5 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
DIRECTIONS
Mix 3 packets of active dry yeast, and 2 teaspoons of sugar into 2 and 1/2 cups of very warm water. Mix until all is dissolved and set to the side while you get everything else together.
Go ahead and start melting 5 tablespoons of butter or margarine, but don’t add it yet. Put 9 cups of all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Then add a cup of sugar and 3 teaspoons of salt. Blend well.
Make a little well in the center of the flour mix and pour in the butter and the yeast mixture. Stir it up as much as you can until it starts getting really thick. Then start kneading it with your hands. It will get messy. Knead it until all ingredients are well blended and no flour remains on the side of the bowl. Should take quite a few minutes. Add a very small amount of water if needed in order to get all the flour blended in. When it is all kneaded and ready, place it into a greased bowl, spray a little cooking spray on top of the dough (so it doesn’t get dry or crusty), and cover it. Leave it sit for at least an hour to rise. It should double in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, uncover it and punch it down.
Take 5 cups of water and half a cup of baking soda and mix it well. Set it to the side. You’ll be using it soon.
Separate your dough into as many pieces as you want. Roll it out and twist it up to make pretzel shapes, other designs, make smiley faces, peace signs, or cut it up into small pretzel bites. Whatever you make, dip it in the baking soda bath and set it on some wax paper, so the excess water can run off. Sprinkle with the coarse salt. (If you’d rather have cinnamon/sugar pretzels, don’t put the salt on. Just dip the dough and set it down on the wax paper.)
Preheat your oven to 350. Carefully place pretzels on a greased baking sheet and let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes to rise up again a bit.
Bake for about 8 minutes, depending on size, until they are a golden brown color. Take them out and brush them with melted butter. (This is when you’d sprinkle on the cinnamon/sugar if that’s the way you want them.)

[groovymama]

I'd love to help, but I'm not quite sure what you mean by an itemized menu list. Could you elaborate?

[sitearm]

@groovymama; Hi! mmm I love soft pretzels. tweeted! Thanks ! : ) Site

[groovymama]

Thank you so much! And double thanks for the tweet!

[av. cazalas]

I'm currently making these at work and meant to cut it in half, but I accidentally added the normal amount of water and didn't realize it until mixing everything together. Do you think having to add dry ingredients on top of the already mixed dough and re-mixing it will cause issues with my finished product? Help! Lol

[groovymama]

Please let me know how they turn out for you.

[groovymama]

No. It should still work. Add the yeast now, while it's still warm. Make sure you knead it really well. You should be fine. Just make sure the dough has doubled in size before punching it down. It's ok if it takes a bit longer than an hour. Not sure what your workplace is like, but if you can put the dough in a warm area, it will rise a bit faster.

[spark master]

THIS is great for pregame activities!

[groovymama]

Yes it is! Thanks!