Pretzels, known for their distinct twisted shape and irresistible flavor, have been a beloved snack and culinary delight for centuries. Whether you prefer the crunchy texture of hard pretzels or the soft, chewy goodness of soft pretzels, there's a recipe out there to satisfy your cravings and tantalize your taste buds. From traditional German recipes to modern variations with unique flavors and toppings, the world of pretzels is vast and exciting. Embark on a culinary journey to discover the best recipes for cooking pretzels, both hard and soft, and learn the secrets to achieving that perfect balance of crispiness, chewiness, and flavor that will make your pretzels a hit among family and friends.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SOFT PRETZELS
Similar to Auntie Anne's, these soft pretzels are a touch sweet and deliciously buttery.
Provided by Jennifer Segal, adapted from Food Network
Categories Breads
Time 40m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds; do not boil. (Alternatively, warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan.) Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture to the bowl. When the dough forms a cohesive mass, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a 2-qt baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2¼ cups warm water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved; set aside. (Dipping the pretzel dough in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels a nice golden brown crust.)
- Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. (If the dough seems sticky, you can dust it with a bit of flour as needed.) Shape the dough into a log, then cut into 6 equal pieces; cover with a damp dishtowel so the dough doesn't dry out. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.
- Using two hands, gently dip each "rope" into the soda solution. Let any excess liquid drip off, then form the dough into a pretzel shape directly on the prepared baking sheet (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over and under each other -- making a twist in the center -- and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel). Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes; watch the bottoms carefully as they can burn.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels. The pretzels are best enjoyed warm out of the oven or fresh on the same day (reheat in the oven or microwave).
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm milk and butter, let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe.
- Note: If you prefer a cinnamon sugar topping, omit the coarse salt. Brush with butter after baking and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar plus about ¾ teaspoon cinnamon)
- Make-Ahead Instructions: After the dough has risen, it can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for a few months. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator before using. The dough can be shaped into pretzel bites while still cool, but allow about 30 minutes for the bites to puff up a bit before dipping and baking.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 pretzel, Calories 331, Fat 12 g, Carbohydrate 49 g, Protein 7 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, Sugar 9 g, Fiber 2 g, Sodium 2540 mg, Cholesterol 30 mg
SOFT HOMEMADE PRETZELS
Fun to make.
Provided by Pam English
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes Pretzel Recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Stir yeast into 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; beat in flour, sugar, shortening, and salt to make a dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Place dough into a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 18 to 20 inches long.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
- Shape each rope of dough into a pretzel on the prepared baking sheet; let pretzels rest for 5 minutes. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and brush yolk mixture over each pretzel; sprinkle each with coarse salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 158 calories, Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Cholesterol 17.1 mg, Fat 1.8 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 4.4 g, SaturatedFat 0.5 g, Sodium 676.4 mg, Sugar 2.2 g
PRETZELS - HARD AND SOFT
Posted in response to a request for a recipe for hard pretzels. EDITED TO ADD: After seeing Marlene's photo and reading her review, I just had to try this recipe immediately. Made soft preztels w/ my granddaughter this morning and they were both easy and good. From start to finish, it didn't take very long at all. A great project to do w/ kids!
Provided by Impera_Magna
Categories Breads
Time 45m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- SOFT PRETZELS:
- Dissolve yeast in water, add salt and sugar.
- Blend in all the flour and knead until smooth.
- When smooth, cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes. Twist ropes into conventional pretzel shapes and place on a paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Brush pretzels with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until brown. These do not keep long.
- HARD PRETZELS:
- Do everthing above, but decrease water to 1-1/4 cups and add 1/4 cup of melted butter.
- Make pretzels smaller and bake until browned.
- These pretzels will stay good for months in a tight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 245.4, Fat 1.3, SaturatedFat 0.3, Cholesterol 23.2, Sodium 302.6, Carbohydrate 49.7, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 1.8, Protein 7.6
HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS
For a taste of the fair at home, try Alton Brown's Homemade Soft Pretzels recipe from Good Eats on Food Network.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories side-dish
Time 1h55m
Yield 8 pretzels
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
- Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
- In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
- Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
HOMEMADE HARD PRETZELS
Provided by Alton Brown
Time 3h25m
Yield 36 pretzel sticks
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
- Place enough water into a large roasting pan to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 1-ounce portions, approximately 36 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 14 to15-inch long stick and place on the sheet pans, 1/4-inch apart. Cover the dough not being used with a slightly damp towel to help prevent drying out.
- Gently place 6 to 8 pretzels at a time into the water for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzels back to the sheet pan, brush with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown in color and hard, approximately 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
CHEWY SOFT PRETZELS
These homemade pretzels never last long around our house. My kids love to make them...and eat them! I serve them to company with a variety of dips, such as pizza sauce, ranch dressing, spinach dip or hot mustard. -Elvira Martens, Aldergrove, British Columbia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Snacks
Time 1h15m
Yield 1 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. , Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch down dough; divide and shape into 12 balls. Roll each into a 22-in. rope; shape into a pretzel., Preheat oven to 425°. Place water and baking soda in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Place pretzels, 1 at a time, in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove; drain on paper towels that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. , Place on greased baking sheets. Brush with egg; top as desired. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 164 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 16mg cholesterol, Sodium 400mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 5g protein.
LARGE SOFT PRETZELS (QUICK)
Delicious soft pretzels in about 20 minutes!
Provided by Cam
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes Pretzel Recipes
Time 30m
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Mix water and sugar together in a bowl until sugar is dissolved; add yeast. Let mixture stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk flour, butter, and salt together in a bowl until well mixed; add yeast mixture and stir with a fork until dough starts to cling. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth.
- Cut dough into 15 equal pieces and roll each piece between your hands into rope shapes at least the thickness of a pencil. Twist dough into desired shapes and arrange on a baking sheet; brush with egg and sprinkle coarse salt over each.
- Bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are browned and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 160.4 calories, Carbohydrate 26.8 g, Cholesterol 20.5 mg, Fat 3.8 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 4.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.1 g, Sodium 210.2 mg, Sugar 1 g
EASY SOFT PRETZEL
These pretzels can be made salty or sweet; your choice.-Taste of Home Cooking School
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, water and butter; beat until smooth (mixture will be slightly sticky). Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons water if dough is dry. Cover and let rest in a warm place 30 minutes., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly greased surface; divide into six pieces. Roll each piece into a 24-in. rope. For topping, combine water, sugar and baking soda in a shallow bowl. Shape each rope into a pretzel and dip into the baking solution. Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt or coarse sugar., Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Dip in cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Serve warm.,
Nutrition Facts :
HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: water, salt, sugar, active dry yeast, flour, oil, baking soda, eggs, coarse salt
Provided by Hannah Williams
Categories Snacks
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a bowl, mix water, salt, and sugar until combined. Add yeast, and let rest 5 minutes until yeast starts to foam.
- Add flour and 2 tablespoons of oil, and mix thoroughly until a dough forms.
- Remove the dough and use the remaining oil to cover the bowl.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Cut dough into 8 pieces and roll them out into thin ropes, twisting the two ends to form a pretzel shape.
- Add baking soda to a large pot of water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side.
- Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 332 calories, Carbohydrate 55 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 9 grams, Sugar 1 gram
HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS
Edd Kimber demonstrates how to make perfect pretzels with a chewy crust and soft, fluffy interior. Mix honey and mustard for a fantastic dip to go with them
Provided by Edd Kimber
Categories Brunch, Snack, Treat
Time 25m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Put the flour, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and mix together to combine. In a large jug, mix together 300ml lukewarm water and the butter. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the water, mixing together to form a rough dough.
- Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins or until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and set aside until doubled in size, about 1hr.
- Once risen, knock out the air bubbles in the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a long rope about 60cm long.
- To form into pretzels, lay the rope in a U-shape with the curve pointing towards you. Take the two ends and cross them over.
- Take the ends, lift them backwards and press them into the curve of the U-shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Carefully place the pretzels on a baking tray lined with parchment and lightly greased with oil. Cover lightly with oiled cling film. Set aside for about 20 mins until puffy (not fully risen like bread dough).
- Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, bring to the boil, add the baked bicarbonate of soda, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. One at a time, carefully lift the pretzels into the pan and cook for 20 secs per side. The pretzels will rise to the surface; flip with a slotted spoon.
- Use the spoon to gently lift the pretzels from the pan and return them to the baking tray. Once they have all been cooked in the water, lightly brush with the egg and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a rich, dark brown. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Best served on the day made but can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 290 calories, Fat 7 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 47 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 9 grams protein, Sodium 1.1 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Activate the yeast properly. Active dry yeast should be proofed in warm water (105-115°F) with a little sugar for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy. Instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients without proofing.
- Knead the dough well. Kneading the dough develops the gluten, which gives pretzels their chewy texture. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise twice. The first rise allows the yeast to ferment and produce gas, which makes the dough light and airy. The second rise, after the dough has been shaped, allows the dough to relax and become easier to work with.
- Boil the pretzels before baking. Boiling the pretzels in a baking soda solution gives them their characteristic shiny brown crust. The baking soda also helps to develop the chewy texture of the pretzels.
- Bake the pretzels until they are golden brown. The pretzels should be baked at a high temperature (450°F) for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. This will give them a crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior.
Conclusion:
Pretzels are a delicious and versatile snack or meal that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are relatively easy to make, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help you make perfect pretzels every time. With a little practice, you'll be able to impress your friends and family with your homemade pretzels.
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