Soft Pretzels Twisted Salt (Printable version)

Tender, chewy golden pretzels sprinkled with coarse salt, served warm with tangy mustard for snacking or sharing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
02 - 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
03 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 2 tsp kosher salt
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

→ Baking Soda Bath

07 - 10 cups water
08 - 2/3 cup baking soda

→ Topping

09 - 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
10 - Coarse pretzel salt (or kosher salt), to sprinkle

→ For Serving

11 - Yellow or spicy brown mustard

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add melted butter and salt, then gradually stir in flour until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
05 - Preheat oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
07 - Punch down dough, divide into 8 equal pieces, roll each into 20 to 22-inch ropes, and form classic pretzel shapes.
08 - Carefully dip each pretzel into the boiling bath for 30 seconds, then place on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Brush pretzels with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse salt.
10 - Bake pretzels for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown.
11 - Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm with mustard.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that authentic chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture that store-bought pretzels can never quite match.
  • The baking soda bath is the secret weapon—it's what gives them that deep mahogany color and distinctive pretzel flavor that feels like a minor kitchen miracle.
  • Eight big, impressive pretzels to share means you'll be the person everyone wants to hang out with.
02 -
  • The baking soda bath is absolutely essential—skipping it or using just water gives you bread that happens to be pretzel-shaped, not actual pretzels, and I learned this the hard way on attempt number two.
  • Thirty seconds in the bath is the sweet spot; any longer and the outside gets too thick and chewy, any shorter and you miss out on the chemical magic that makes pretzels taste like pretzels.
03 -
  • Keep your dough temperature in mind—if your kitchen is cold, the rise will take longer, and that's fine; patience actually improves flavor by allowing fermentation to develop more complexity.
  • Make the baking soda bath the day of baking; it loses potency if it sits around, and you want full strength for that pretzel magic to happen.
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