Chestnut Free Soft Pretzels with Salt
Few things beat the satisfaction of pulling a tray of golden, deeply browned pretzels from your own oven, and this recipe delivers that bakery-style payoff with a short list of everyday ingredients. The dough comes together with flour, butter, yeast, and water — nothing obscure, nothing that requires a specialty store run. What gives these pretzels their signature chewy crust and rich color is the baking soda bath, a quick poach that transforms plain dough into something that genuinely looks and tastes like it came from a pretzel cart. A generous brush of egg wash before baking locks in that glossy, mahogany finish, and the coarse salt on top adds just the right crunch and brine in every bite. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns, this recipe is naturally free of chestnuts and any chestnut-derived ingredients — just clean, simple pantry staples from start to finish. These are best served warm, ideally with a dipping sauce on the side, but honestly they disappear fast enough that the sauce is almost optional.
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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 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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