Pennsylvania Dutch · Breads & baking
Hot buttered soft pretzels
Warm chewy pretzels with burnished salted crusts, soft centers, and melted butter brushed on at service.
Equipment
- Wide pot
- A similarly sized 13 × 18-inch rimmed pan works; smaller pans make a thicker pizza.
Ingredients
1× recipe · Makes 8 pretzels
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) bread flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water, 100–110°F
- 5 cups water, for boiling
- 1/3 cup baking soda, for boiling
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse pretzel salt or flaky salt, for topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water. Knead 5 to 8 minutes until soft, smooth, and elastic. Cover and rise 30 to 40 minutes until visibly puffy, not necessarily doubled.
Heat oven to 450°F and line with parchment. Divide dough into eight equal pieces and roll each into a 24-inch rope, resting pieces 5 minutes if they spring back.
Shape each rope into a U, cross ends twice, and press them firmly onto the bottom curve. Bring water to a gentle boil in a wide pot, carefully add baking soda in portions to limit foaming, and keep bare skin away from the alkaline bath.
Boil pretzels one or two at a time for 20 to 30 seconds, drain well, and return to parchment. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with salt, and slash the thick lower curve once.
Bake 8 to 11 minutes until mahogany brown and 195–200°F inside. Brush immediately with melted butter and serve warm. The baking-soda bath is household-safe but milder than professional lye; gloves and eye protection would be required for lye, which this recipe does not use.
Dinner does not stop at the recipe
Keep recipes, plan meals, and build the grocery list in Kwilt.
Use the recipe here. Get Kwilt when you want the rest of dinner to stay together.
Cook something else
See every recipe
American · Breads & baking
Soft sandwich bread
A tender, close-grained white loaf that slices cleanly for sandwiches and toast without crumbling.
About 2 hr 45 min1 9-by-5-inch loaf
American · Breads & baking
Beginner sourdough boule
A naturally leavened round loaf with a crackling crust, moderately open crumb, and gentle sourdough tang.
About 19 hr 20 min1 round loaf
Southern US · Breads & baking
Flaky buttermilk biscuits
Tall, tender Southern-style biscuits with crisp golden tops and distinct buttery layers.
About 50 min8 biscuits