Almond Free Soft Pretzels with Salt

Total time1 hr 45 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(12)

Few things beat pulling a tray of golden, deeply browned pretzels out of the oven while they're still steaming. These are the real deal — chewy on the outside, soft and pillowy inside, with that satisfying salty crunch on top that makes it impossible to stop at just one. The secret to that classic pretzel texture is the baking soda bath, which gives each one its signature mahogany color and slightly crisp shell before they ever hit the oven. Every ingredient here is straightforward pantry staple territory: flour, yeast, butter, egg, and salt — nothing hidden, nothing unexpected. For anyone navigating tree nut allergies, packaged snack foods and bakery items can be a minefield of shared equipment warnings, but making pretzels from scratch puts you completely in control of what goes into them. The dough comes together easily in a stand mixer, and shaping them is genuinely fun once you get the rhythm down. Serve them warm straight from the oven and watch them disappear.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough

1 ½ cups warm water (110°f / 43°c)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine 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 fine 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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