Macadamia Free Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a tray of golden-brown, chewy pretzels out of your own oven, and this whole wheat version delivers that bakery-level payoff with nothing but wholesome pantry staples. The dough comes together with whole wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and yeast — straightforward ingredients with zero hidden surprises lurking in the list. The real magic happens in the baking soda bath, which gives each pretzel that signature chewy crust and deep mahogany color before it ever hits the oven. A generous egg wash and a shower of coarse sea salt finish things off, so every bite has that perfect salty snap on the outside and a soft, pillowy pull in the middle. Because the recipe is built entirely from scratch, you sidestep the cross-contact concerns that can come with packaged snack foods processed on shared equipment with tree nuts. These are genuinely impressive to serve at a gathering, but honestly just as good torn apart warm on a Tuesday afternoon with a little mustard on the side.
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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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