Pork Free Classic Pretzels
Few snacks hit quite like a freshly baked pretzel — that glossy, deep-brown crust giving way to a chewy, pillowy interior is genuinely hard to beat. The secret to that signature flavor and color is the baking soda bath, which gives each pretzel a quick dip before it ever sees the oven, creating the slightly tangy, crackly exterior you'd expect from a proper pretzel shop. The dough itself comes together with just flour, butter, yeast, and a little sugar, so every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. That matters when you're navigating store-bought snacks that can hide unexpected additives or shared-facility concerns — here, you control exactly what goes in. Rolling and shaping the ropes is genuinely satisfying, and that final egg wash is what delivers the stunning mahogany finish. Finished with a generous shower of coarse salt, these are the kind of pretzels that disappear fast straight off the cooling 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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