Gelatin Free Classic Pretzels
Warm, chewy, and deeply bronzed, these homemade pretzels deliver that satisfying chew and glossy crust you'd expect from a proper pretzel shop — right out of your own oven. The magic comes from a quick dip in a baking soda bath, which gives each pretzel its signature dark color and slightly alkaline tang without any additives or mystery ingredients. Every component here is straightforward pantry staple territory — flour, butter, yeast, egg — so there's nothing tucked into the ingredient list that would raise a flag for anyone avoiding animal-derived gelling agents. Store-bought pretzels and packaged snacks can be surprisingly tricky to vet, since gelatin sometimes shows up in coatings, glazes, or dough conditioners, but this recipe keeps things completely transparent from start to finish. Rolling and twisting the dough into those classic loops is genuinely fun, and the egg wash brushed on before baking gives them that irresistible sheen and a satisfying snap when you bite in. Finish with a generous shower of coarse salt and you've got a snack that's hard to beat fresh from the rack.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 1 ½ cups warm water (110°f / 43°c)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the baking soda bath
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
For finishing
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy and fragrant.
- 2
Add the kosher salt, melted butter, and flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until the flour is incorporated, then increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, and springs back when poked.
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