Chestnut Free Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a batch of soft, chewy pretzels out of your own oven, and this whole wheat version delivers that bakery-style experience from scratch. The dough comes together with whole wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and yeast — straightforward pantry staples with zero hidden surprises lurking in the ingredient list. That classic pretzel chew and deep mahogany crust come from a quick baking soda bath before baking, a simple but transformative step that gives each pretzel its signature bite and color. A generous egg wash and a shower of coarse sea salt finish things off, so every surface is glossy, salty, and impossible to resist. For anyone navigating tree nut allergies or sensitivities, homemade is almost always the smarter call — store-bought pretzels and snack foods can share production lines with all kinds of nuts, making labels harder to trust than they should be. These are completely free of that concern, built from ingredients you can see and verify yourself. Serve them warm with mustard, a cheese dip, or just on their own — they disappear fast either way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 1 cup warm water (about 110°f / 43°c)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the baking soda bath
- 8 cups water
- ⅓ cup baking soda
For finishing
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt or flaky salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
- 2
Add the whole wheat flour, fine sea salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
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