Making German style soft pretzels at home is not difficult at all. As a matter of fact, you’ll love just how easy…and delicious they are!
When we lived in Germany, there were food trucks that you would see here and there that had some of the most amazing foods you could imagine. The ice cream truck with the super-creamy fresh, hazelnut ice cream, or the Greek truck with the gyros, or the Pommes Frites – ahh….
Another favorite were these fresh, soft Brezl that we would get at the fests – they are traditionally served with mustard, along side a pint of Bier!
The other day when I made these, my husband literally got down on his knees and begged me to make a whole ‘nother batch for him to take to work the next day.
I did.
Where’s my Super Wife cape?
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How to Make Homemade Pretzels – Bavarian (German) Style
To begin, place 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a mixing bowl, with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
Sprinkle 2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast over the top of the water, and let it sit about 10 minutes until it gets bubbly.
Place your bowl under the mixer, fitted with a dough hook, and add in 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Let the mixer run for about 4 minutes, until the dough comes away from the bowl and is nice and smooth.
Form the dough into a ball, and place it in a clean, oiled bowl, Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
When the dough is risen, grab a large pot, and put 2 quarts plus 2 cups of water in it, along with 2/3 cup of baking soda. (Traditional pretzels are given a bath of lye water – but frankly, lye is terrifying to me. This option is much more doable.) Bring the water to a full boil.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly spray the paper with oil. Set aside.
Now grab your dough while the water is heating up. Turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface.
Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
Take one portion and roll it into a long snake, about 2 feet long.
To shape the pretzel, bring the ends up,
Twist once, and then again.
And turn the ends down towards the bottom, and press the ends gently against the dough where it crosses.
With a slotted spatula, gently place the pretzel in the boiling water for 30 seconds.
Left the pretzel out, and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining 7 pretzels.
Grab an egg, and separate it. Beat the yolk with a tablespoon of water, and brush the tops of the pretzels with the mixture.
Sprinkle with some pretzel salt (if you can find it) or some kosher salt.
Bake the pretzels for 12-14 minutes or until dark golden brown. Enjoy!!
Did You Make This Recipe? I would love for you to rate it in the recipe card, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Bavarian Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c warm water, 110-115 degrees
- 1 Tb brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c butter, melted
- vegetable oil
- 2 quarts + 2 cups water
- 2/3 c baking soda
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tb water
- pretzel or kosher salt
Instructions
- To begin, place the 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a mixing bowl, with the brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
- Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top of the water, and let it sit about 10 minutes until it gets bubbly.
- Place your bowl under the mixer, fitted with a dough hook, and add in the flour and butter.
- Let the mixer run for about 4 minutes, until the dough comes away from the bowl and is nice and smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball, and place it in a clean, oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm place for an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
- When the dough is risen, grab a large pot, and put 2 quarts plus 2 cups of water in it, along with the baking soda. Bring the water to a full boil.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly spray the paper with oil. Set aside.
- Now grab your dough while the water is heating up.
- Turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
- Take one portion and roll it into a long snake, about 2 feet long.
- To shape the pretzel, bring the ends up, twist once, and then again.
- Turn the ends down towards the bottom, and press the ends gently against the dough where it crosses.
- With a slotted spatula, gently place the pretzel in the boiling water for *30 seconds.*
- Lift the pretzel out, and place it on the baking sheet.
- Repeat the process with the remaining 7 pretzels.
- Beat the yolk with a tablespoon of water in a small dish, and brush the tops of the pretzels with the mixture.
- Sprinkle with some pretzel salt (if you can find it) or some kosher salt.
- Bake the pretzels for 12-14 minutes or until dark golden brown.
- Enjoy!!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is auto-generated and the accuracy is not guaranteed.
WowZa! These are AMAZING! My son loves German pretzels and gives these 10/10 ⭐️! We did lessen the baking time to 10 minutes and they were perfect. Thank you so much… we will do these again soon!
These turned out wonderful! I did make a couple changes/additions. I used Guinness for my liquid instead of water. I added a bit of nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, and celery seeds into my dry mixture. After the dough came together, I put in about a cup of shredded cheddar and let my mixer knead it smooth. Delicious!
I make these all the time! My husband and I love them! So easy and so delicious. I tried several different recipes and this is the best!
Thank you Jill!
If you bake the baking soda by itself in the oven at 450 for an hour before you make the bath, you simulate the lye bath (heating baking side coverts it from sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate- more caustic than baking soda itself but not as caustic as lye)
Thank you for that tip, I had never heard that before!
So very delicious! Best recipe I’ve used ever!! We are having brats for dinner and these will complement to the meal. Thank you so much!
Wonderful!
I tried your recipe and it was awesome! Thanks!
Just made your recipe. Sorry, the look is correct but the taste is not there. This is not an authentic German pretzel.
Maybe the pretzels you are familiar with were from a different part of Germany than where we lived. Or could be you are looking for the type that are given a lye bath. I'm sorry you were disappointed, but these are a huge hit around here :)
You have me craving those wonderful German pretzels! Oh how I miss them and hope to get back to Germany next year. Until then, I need to try your recipe.
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Constance, you definitely deserve that "kick ass wife cape". Your pretzels are absolute perfection – even better looking than the ones you find in bakeries! I've always been intimidated by pretzel making and your recipe and step by step photos are totally helpful. Maybe I can master pretzel making too! I adore your giant marble slab, it must be awesome using it to prep food.
Mom recently commented when we were dining out how much she liked soft pretzels. i'll be making her a batch of these as soon as I can stand to turn on the oven again. Your hubby's co-workers are a lucky group.
WOW!! I think you just gave me the encouragement to make homemade pretzels!! These look amazing :)
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Oh these look gorgeous!!I love pretzels but never knew how they were made!Thanks for showing the process and yes you do need a cape :)
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Constance! I am shocked to hear you don't already have a cape. If anyone deserves one, it is you, for all you do! That is the most gorgeous soft pretzel I think I have ever seen.
Here[1] is a slightly in-depth explanation of what's going on.
Here's the quick and dirty. Bases, such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and lye (sodium hydroxide) lower the temperature at which the Maillard reaction[2] takes place. The Maillard reaction happens when protein-rich foods are exposed to high (350F/175C and above) temperature – this is what's going on when food browns.
Lye is a much stronger base than baking soda, so it is much more effective at lowering the temperature at which browning occurs. Baking soda isn't that strong of a base, but it can be made quite a bit stronger by exposing it to heat (300F/150C for an hour), which turns it (sodium bicarbonate) into sodium carbonate. The author of the article I linked above (Harold McGee) recommends an approx. 20% solution of baked baking soda in water, and soaking pretzels in this solution for 3-4 minutes. It's not going to beat lye for pretzels, but it's quite a bit safer, and is going to produce a better result than baking soda.
My recent post KFBass on Bavarian Soft Pretzels, this shows how to make those really good German pretzels
I made these and they were really good! I twisted the dough before I put them in a knot and they looked really pretty!
G'day! Your pretzels look very yum, true
I now have these on my list to do! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne
@mickeydownunder
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Love love LOVE soft pretzels!
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I LOVE pretzels. They always go so quickly when I make them, I think if I try this recipe I'll have to hide them! Yum.
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These are beautiful! Our pretzels never turn out that pretty!
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Oh my! Your pretzel looks fabulous. I haven't had a soft pretzel in years! Now you've got me craving one!
Those pretzels looks beautiful! You make it look so easy, but I know they're a lot of work!
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I lovvvvvvvvvvve soft pretzels and have always wanted to make them, but never have. These are gorgeous! Bobbi ~ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
I wonder if I could figure out a way to make those gluten free. That looks delightful.
Gorgeous pretzels! i could totally put down a couple of these! My eyes totally bugged out at all the different pretzel shops when I visited Colgne last year. I couldn't get enough.
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Oh my, I want one of those right away, especially with the mustard. YUM!!!
Yes! We love pretzels around here! I always make a double batch…for emergencies and all. ;)
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How do you store the dough if you don’t make them all at once can you save it for another day
PERFECT pretzels! I must make these for my youngest!!!
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Oh my gosh, these pretzels look amazing! I am in love. Need to make ASAP
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One of my favorite things in the whole wide world! These look amazing…and only confirm my deep desire to wander the streets of Germany, eating all the while. ;)
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I always have street salty pretzels when in NYC. These look awesome Constance, no wonder the begging…lol!
Yummy! Your pretzels are the real deal… Straight out of the oven with a bit of salt or mustard…Mmm that would be fabulous just about now.
These sound and look like the perfect Brezel to me :) – We like to eat ours with butter and I make sure to have a "Butterbrezeln" whenever I am back home :) Thank you for sharing, Constancee. ~ Bea @ The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
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