I'm Elyse. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories are around a table with friends and family, and I want that for you, too.
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Los Angeles is not known for its seasons—unless you count fire season—for which, sadly, we are famous. However, there is a distinct wind that begins to blow around September/October that signifies fall is on its way. So, despite the fact that we had multiple 100 degree days last week, I am noticing the early signs of relief.
For me, fall brings Halloween, football season, and the start of blanket-and-book weather—a personal favorite. So to celebrate, I’m sharing one of my favorite savory fall treats—the soft pretzel. These pillowy puppies are buttery, salty, and the perfect dippable for, quite frankly, anything.
How to Make Soft Pretzels
In my opinion, soft pretzels are one of the easiest ways to dip your toe into yeasted bread. (Could I have found a better metaphor? Absolutely.) Yes, they do require the added step of a baking soda bath, but they aren’t a bread that you need to poke and prod over, nor do they take multiple days to finish. Instead, we mix our ingredients, knead until enough gluten has developed, and proof for less than an hour, before shaping and baking. So, if yeasted baked goods have intimidated you in the past, I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot.
I specifically call for bread flour in this recipe because of the high protein content, which adds to the chewiness and helps with stability. As someone who has very limited storage space, I completely understand the hesitation to buy another flour, but it really does make a difference. And if you are looking for something else to use your bread flour for, might I recommend these homemade conchas?
There is a primal satisfaction I get from kneading dough. It’s simultaneously relaxing and hard work. That is one of the reasons I split the kneading time between my stand mixer and my hands. The other reason is so you can feel how the dough changes. After a few minutes of kneading the dough by hand, I recommend pinching off a small piece and trying the windowpane test to determine whether enough gluten has been developed.
To perform the windowpane test, take your small piece of dough and gently stretch it until it is thin enough to see light through. If it rips before you get to that thin membrane, you need to do some more kneading.
I enjoy my soft pretzels with an array of dips, with my go-to’s being cheese sauce and an array of mustards. But again, these taste delicious with literally any dip. Another huge boon to these pretzels? If you want a sweet treat instead of a savory one, skip the finishing salt and instead sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. No matter how you dip or top these cuties, I hope you enjoy!
These soft pretzels are full of buttery, salty flavor! Add some dipping sauces and you’ve got yourself the perfect game-day snack.
Ingredients
Scale
1 1/2C warm water
1T honey
1 packet of active dry yeast
4C bread flour
2T unsalted butter, melted and cooled + 3T of melted unsalted butter for brushing on the pretzels once baked
1 1/2t kosher salt + extra for topping
2/3C baking soda
10C water
1 egg beaten + 1t water for the egg wash
All-purpose flour for dusting
Vegetable oil for greasing a bowl
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 1/2C warm water, honey, and active dry yeast. Allow yeast to bloom for about 3-5 minutes. If you don’t notice any activity after 5 minutes, dump your mixture and start again with new yeast.
With the dough hook attached, add 2C of bread flour and 2T of the melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix on low. Add the rest of the bread flour and salt. Starting on low, slowly build the speed up to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes or until the dough forms a loose ball and pulls away from the sides.
Dump the dough onto a clean, floured work surface and knead by hand for an additional 5 minutes. The dough will be a little sticky, but comes together with kneading. Work it until it passes the windowpane test. (More about this process in the notes above.)
Oil the bowl of your stand mixer (or another large bowl) and plop your dough inside, coating all sides in oil. Cover with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap and allow to double in size. This takes around 50 minutes.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal(ish) sized pieces. Use the heels of your hands to roll one dough piece at a time into a rope between 20 – 24 inches long.
To shape the pretzels, take one rope and form a ‘U’. Cross the right end over the left and twist, so the right end is now underneath. Grab the two ends and pull them down to the ‘bend’ of the U. Voila!
Preheat your oven to 450F and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or greased parchment paper.
Bring 10C of water and 2/3C baking soda to a boil. Add one or two pretzels to the solution at a time, depending on the size of your pot, and boil for about 30 seconds.
Remove your pretzels using a large slotted spoon or spider and place them onto a baking sheet. It will be 4 pretzels per baking sheet. Liberally brush the pretzels with egg wash and top with coarse salt.
Bake your pretzels for about 12 – 16 minutes, or until golden brown. (Personally, I start checking them at 15 minutes because I like a deeper color.)
Remove from the oven and brush with 3T of melted butter for even more shine and buttery flavor. Enjoy warm with plenty of dips.
Keywords: game day snacks, pretzel recipe, soft pretzels, homemade pretzels