Best 3 Soft Homemade Pretzels Recipes

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Homemade soft pretzels are a delightful treat that combines a crispy crust with a soft, chewy interior. They are perfect for snacking, lunch, or as a side dish. Soft pretzels are often associated with street vendors, but they can also be easily made at home with the right ingredients and technique. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to making the perfect soft pretzels, including tips for achieving the perfect crust and texture.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

SOFT HOMEMADE PRETZELS



Soft Homemade Pretzels image

Fun to make.

Provided by Pam English

Categories     Bread     Yeast Bread Recipes     Pretzel Recipes

Time 1h40m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F (43 degrees C))
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon shortening, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
coarse salt, or to taste

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

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS



Homemade Soft Pretzels image

Now that I'm home full-time, I like to make all kinds of breads for meals, family gatherings and just for fun with my daughters, Lindsay and Mariah. Both girls love to help when it comes to making bread, especially kneading the dough. This is one of their favorite recipes.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Snacks

Time 1h5m

Yield 32 pretzels.

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
Coarse salt, optional

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, butter and egg. Stir in 3 cups of flour; mix until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Cover bowl tightly with foil; refrigerate for 2-24 hours. , Punch dough down and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, cut each half into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 20-in. rope. Shape into the traditional pretzel shape and place on a greased baking sheet. , In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and water; brush over the pretzels. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 122 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 17mg cholesterol, Sodium 165mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS



Homemade Soft Pretzels image

There's no two ways about it - I am a pretzel addict. I love pretzels and in my days of working as a flight attendant, would plan my layovers so that I'd have time to hit up one of the soft pretzel stands at the airport! So it came as a wonderful surprise when I tasted this recipe and realized that I like these pretzels BETTER...

Provided by Jess Weible

Categories     Other Snacks

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 1/2 c warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 oz unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil, for pan
10 c water
2/3 c baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water
extra kosher or pretzel salt

Steps:

  • 1. Combine the water, sugar, & kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter.
  • 2. Using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Knead dough until its smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl. 4-5 minutes. Remove from bowl and place in a metal or glass bowl slightly oiled with vegetable oil. Cover and let sit in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
  • 3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchament paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.
  • 4. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a roiling boil in a large saucepan.
  • 5. In the meantime, turn dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into about 16 twenty-four inch ropes. (if you want to make regular shaped pretzels at this point: make a U shape with the rope, holding ends of rope, cross them over each other and press into the bottom of the U.) Or you can cut the ropes into 2 inch nuggets.
  • 6. As you work place the nuggets or pretzels on your parchament baking sheet and (for the regular pretzels, place 1 by 1 into the boiling water for about 30 seconds) for the nuggets, I placed about a whole rope's worth in the water at the same time. 30 seconds, remove from water with a large slotted spatula and return to one of your baking sheets.
  • 7. Brush the top of each pretzel or nugget with your egg wash mixture and sprinkle with salt. (Cinnamon sugar is good too!!) Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes prior to serving.

Tips:

  • Use bread flour for a chewier pretzel. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which results in a stronger gluten network and a chewier texture.
  • Dissolve the sugar and yeast in warm water before adding them to the dough. This will help to activate the yeast and ensure that it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  • Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This will help to develop the gluten in the dough and result in a chewy pretzel.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. This will give the yeast time to ferment the dough and produce carbon dioxide gas, which will create air pockets in the dough and make the pretzels light and airy.
  • Boil the pretzels in a baking soda solution before baking them. This will help to create the characteristic chewy crust of a pretzel.
  • Bake the pretzels at a high temperature for a short amount of time. This will help to create a crispy crust and a chewy interior.

Conclusion:

Soft homemade pretzels are a delicious and versatile snack that can be enjoyed on their own or with a variety of toppings. They are perfect for parties, picnics, or potlucks. With a little practice, you can easily make soft homemade pretzels that are just as good as the ones from your favorite bakery.

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