Cinnamon Free Soft Pretzels with Salt
Few snacks hit the way a freshly baked soft pretzel does — that crackly, salty crust giving way to a chewy, pillowy interior is genuinely hard to beat. This recipe nails the classic from scratch using simple pantry staples: flour, yeast, butter, and a quick baking soda bath that gives each pretzel its signature deep-brown color and satisfying chew. The baking soda poach is the real secret here, creating that slightly alkaline coating before the pretzels ever hit the oven, so you get authentic results without any specialty equipment. Many store-bought and bakery pretzels sneak in spice blends or flavored coatings that can be hard to vet, so making them at home puts you fully in control of every ingredient. The finish is beautifully simple — just an egg wash and a generous shower of coarse salt, letting the dough itself be the star. These come out of the oven with a gorgeous mahogany crust and a soft, warm center that's perfect for dipping or eating straight off the pan.
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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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