Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels: twisted bliss
February 9th, 2012 by PJ HamelRecipe: Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels
One of my earliest food memories is the soft, chewy, hot pretzels my dad would buy us kids on our regular wintertime visits to Philadelphia, across the river from his hometown of Camden, New Jersey.
Tasting strongly of the charcoal fire keeping them hot, squirted with a squiggle of bright yellow mustard, they both warmed and kept us entertained as we trudged icy city streets in the wake of Mom and Dad, who were busy reliving old times and window shopping.
Window shopping? B-O-R-I-N-G, when you’re a kid. Thus the food bribes.
Eventually, our trips to Philadelphia ended; and with them, our access to street-vendor soft pretzels. I kind of forgot them for a couple of decades; the Boston area, where I grew up, isn’t Soft Pretzel Central, like Philly or New York.
And neither is Maine, or New Hampshire, or Vermont, where I lived for 35 years.
At one point several years ago, mentally rhapsodizing over those long-ago pretzels, I decided I’d best learn how to re-create them at home.
So I did. And here they are.
Sans the acrid charcoal flavor, it’s true; but with the added richness of a generous slather of melted butter.
And, no need to find a metro pretzel cart…
Enjoy these Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels; they’re one of the top-ranked recipes on our site. Trust your fellow bakers to pick out a winner!
Did you know that by clicking anywhere on this block of pictures, you can blow them up to full size? Go ahead, give it a try; it'll work for any of our gridded photos.
Place the following ingredients into a bowl:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water*
*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.
Beat everything until well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it’s soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough (so it doesn’t stick), place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare the “dip.” Mix 1 cup boiling water with 2 tablespoons baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally (or almost totally) dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm (or cooler).
After 30 minutes, transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface.
Preheat your oven to 475°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable oil spray, or lining it with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each).
Shape each piece into a rough log, and let them rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28″ to 30 ” long), and twist each rope into a pretzel.
Pour the baking soda/water into a 9″ square pan.
Working with four pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, smooth side down, as pictured. Spoon the water over them; let them soak for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet smooth side up. This baking soda “bath” will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.
Sprinkle the pretzels lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt, if desired. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
While the pretzels are baking, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Unsalted is best, if you’ve topped the pretzels with coarse salt.
Notice the writing on the parchment? I was doing an experiment here. I’d heard that baking/drying baking soda (and thus concentrating it) before using it for a pretzel dip resulted in browner pretzels.
I got just the opposite result: plain, out-of-the-can baking soda yielded golden brown pretzels (right), while the baking soda I baked made lighter pretzels (left).
My other experiment was whether rinsing the pretzels in plain water after dipping made a difference; it didn’t seem to.
An earlier experiment was interesting, though. I was wondering if it mattered how long the pretzel spent in its baking soda bath.
On the left, a pretzel that was dipped in its bath, then immediately transferred to a baking sheet. On the right, a pretzel that spent 2 minutes soaking in its bath.
Clearly, the 2-minute soak is the winner.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter.
Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal flavor.
Enjoy the pretzels warm – just as you would from a Philly street vendor.
Or reheat them briefly in an oven or microwave; equally good.
Memories are made of this…
Read, bake, and review (please) our recipe for Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels.
Print just the recipe.
February 9th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
In your Baker’s Companion Cookbook (that I adore) there is also a slight variation to make these into bread sticks. Which I have done many, many, many times. I can no longer make spaghetti and meatballs without those bread sticks. They are simply to die for. And the best part about them is that they don’t take that long to make (the rise time is fairly short) making them an easy “after thought” to add to the dinner table. Thank you for this recipe. My family (and I) love you for it!
Ah, I’d forgotten that – thanks for the reminder! Might need to make some bread sticks to go with my Sunday spaghetti… PJH
February 9th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
How did you store the sodium carbonate after baking it? It will absorb moisture from the air and lose effectiveness if not kept in an airtight container. The other issue is that the full conversion requires higher temps than some sources have stated ~392F.
I stored it in an airtight jar, but ended up just tossing it since it didn’t seem to make a difference – I wasn’t using it for leavening, anyway, just using the “base” in its chemistry for browning. Not sure I understand your “full conversion” question? PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 7:11 am
Why is putting the dough in a bag necessary? Can I flour the dough, cover it and leave it in the bowl for the 30 min rest? I only have sea salt. Can I use that sparingly on the tops of the pretzels?
Anna, not necessary – so long as you keep the dough covered to retain its moisture, a covered bowl is fine. And yes, sea salt should work – if it’s coarse enough it won’t melt. Enjoy – PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 8:48 am
PJ- I too am making spaghetti sauce on Sunday! You must have been sending out vibes and I picked them up. Lildauphin, thank for the suggestion of making bread sticks with spaghetti. I was already planning to make a loaf of applesauce oatmeal bread (with my newly purchased boiled cider!) Quick bread and quick bread sticks while the sauce cooks in the crock pot??? Sounds like a plan for a (predicted) snowy Sunday in Pittsburgh!!
February 10th, 2012 at 11:25 am
Can I make these with gluten-free flour?
Sorry, we have not attempted a g-f version of this recipe. Frank @ KAF.
February 10th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Oh – I like this SO much better than the normal instructions of putting the pretzels in a still-boiling solution of water and baking soda (or – worse – lye). We’ll be making these soon, you can bet on that!
February 10th, 2012 at 11:57 am
These look delicious. Two questions: can the recipe be doubled directly (no adjustments)? Any tips for freezing if we want to (try to) set some aside for later? (Par-bake, freeze, and finish later?) Thanks!
To double. The amount of yeast remains the same as for a single batch. The salt is multiplied by 1.5. The remaining ingredients are doubled. Frank @ KAF.
February 10th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I cannot wait to make these pretzels tomorrow. It has been very cold in Colorado and tomorrow, according to the weather forecast will be no exception. I have tried another KA soft pretzel recipe and they were great!! I cannot wait to try these. How yummy they look. You can never go wrong with KA products. I NEVER use anything else. With this recipe I bet you can make bread sticks. Before baking, brush a little olive oil on the shaped dough and generously sprinkle with the KA Pizza Seasoning. They are yummy!!
February 10th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
PJ – I believe that when “sebastes” mentioned full conversion, she/he was referring to the fact that when you bake your baking soda it changes chemically. Sodium bicarbonate converts to sodium carbonate which is more basic (less acidic) and should provide better browning. The NYTImes had a great article about this: “For Old-Fashioned Flavor, Bake the Baking Soda”.
Personally, I think the minor precautions needed to use lye are well worth it!
Ah, I see; I was thrown by sebastes’ reference to temperature, taking it as baking temperature for the pretzels. Lye does work well, but I wouldn’t feel confident recommending it to a wide audience with various levels of culinary skills; baking soda works well and is a whole lot safer for big audiences! Thanks for your feedback here – PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
What happens if the pretzels “soak” too long in the baking soda/water (aside from possibly over-proofing)? Just curious if a 5-minute or 10-minute soak would be detrimental. Thanks!
Over-soaking will begin to liquefy the outside skin of the pretzels. if this may be a danger in your kitchen, use a timer as a reminder. Frank @ KAF.
February 10th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
PJ this looks great. If I mention this blog to DH he will be after me to make these tonight..LOL…I also have similar memories. My Mom would take me and my brother down to Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas show. Part of the treat was getting one of those vending cart pretzels…Mmmmm I can still smell them along with the roasting chestnuts. Thanks for bringing back such a special memory and a wonderful new recipe….xoxo
Yes, I never remember eating these in warm weather – just winter. In both NYC, and Philly. VERY distinctive aroma, wasn’t it? Thanks for chiming in here – PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
What is the interior like in these? My husb and I recently shared a spectacular baked pretzel at Whole Foods that was absolutely blanketed in grated parmesan and now I’m dying to try to recreate it at home. It was soft and close grained, but not dense, if you know what I mean. Are these pretzels similar? Either way, they look wonderful and I’ll have to give them a spin. Thanks for the tip about the two-minute soak, too, which I have never heard of before but will be sure to try.
With minimal rise time and no fat in the dough, these are close-grained and chewy, rather than soft; think bagel rather than soft dinner roll. But go ahead and give them a try – I’m sure you’ll enjoy them, especially hot out of the oven. PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
These look so delicious! Do you think they would also work with KA white whole wheat flour?
I think a 50:50 blend would be a great place to begin. Once you go beyond 50% whole wheat, the dough will likely need a bit more water, in order to accommodate the bran in the flour. Give it a try.
Here is our version of a 50:50 blend: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/white-wheat-pretzels-recipe
Frank @ KAF.
February 10th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Wow, are you sure you haven’t been reading my blog?? I know I read yours.
Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I just did my own pretzel research and posted in January, (http://doughcrafter.blogspot.com/2012/01/pretzel-test.html), and got different results. I made a deeper bath, and soaked the pretzels submerged, rather than spooning over. I also wrote which was which on my KAF parchment paper LOL! I found that the sodium carbonate pretzels came out better, and I will never boil another pretzel. 
Great minds think alike, Lynna, right? Hadn’t seen your blog, but just looked at it – your results are really black and white (literally!) Thanks for the link here so others can enjoy your experimenting – PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Now, if only KAF would sell pretzel salt, I could find everything I need from you guys!! I can’t find it anywhere. I use the pearl sugar (that looks like pretzel salt). We roll them in Conf. sugar after putting on the butter or I make a dipping sauce with maple. This is a once/week breakfast over here. So easy. So yummy.
I wish we still sold the pretzel salt… but you know what? Kosher salt or pickling salt are both good alternatives. And I love your sweet maple version – yummmm…. PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Can this dough be used to make bialys?? Shape and soak top side down??
Bialys are usually pale, not brown, so I wouldn’t use the soak. But sure, give it a try – should work just fine. Or just use our Bialy recipe, which is very similar only using a higher-gluten flour… PJH
February 10th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
My first pretzel (bretzle in German) memory is that of my daughter teething on a Bavarian pretzel in, Augsburg, Germany. She gummed more of those pretzels and grew her teeth with few tears. Teething baby wakes up crying, stick a pretzel in her mouth, she was one happy camper. She never used a pacifier, just sucked on a pretzel. Pretzels in America are too mushy. Can King Arthur recipes come close? Sort of. I have tried both recipes and they are only a start. The taste is right, but the texture isn’t. The pretzel needs to be more crunchy and less squishy (but will admit that after eating European bread any bread in USA is squishy). The pretzel needs to be firm enough to stand up to a sharp knife so it can be split in half to spread butter and hold a layer of cheese in between both halves (like a sandwich). Any suggestions?
Bretzle mit kasse Bitte!!!
Bevy, these pretzels can do that – they’re dense, like a bagel. Are you looking for something hard/dry, rather than just dense/close-grained? BTW, I just made pretzel rolls out of this same recipe – roll the dough in logs like you’re going to make a pretzel, but tie it in a square knot instead, tucking the ends into the center – pretzel roll! Yummy… PJH
February 11th, 2012 at 9:41 am
Recipe sounds great and will try today. I thought I saw a question related to how to freeze these but don’t see it now and was also wondering how to do that. At what point in the process would you freeze them, and then how to continue baking them? Thanks.
You can just freeze them after they are baked and cooled. ~Amy
You could also freeze them shaped, but unbaked (wrapped well, of course). When you want to finish, thaw overnight in the fridge; let rest on the counter until room temperature then bake and finish. Enjoy! PJH
February 11th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
What did I do wrong? The dough was incredibly springy. Each time I rolled out a piece it sprang back into a short string. When I tried to twist them into shape, the openings closed up. Consequently, my pretzels looked a bit more like lumpy dinner rolls. Although they tasted very good, my husband commented that they resembled rolls called “weck” or “kummelweck” typically served in up-state New York for sandwiches with rare roast beef, horseradish, dill pickles and an au jus dipping sauce – yummmm!
Oh, LOVE beef on weck! Marsha, when your dough springs back like that, WALK… AWAY. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then come back and gently roll again. Once all the pieces are rolled into logs, if they start springing back as you shape them into pretzels – WALK… AWAY. Come back in 10 or 15 minutes, and they’ll be ready to behave. It’s the gluten that’s causing this; the more you handle dough, the tighter the gluten gets. Think of a rubber bands snapping back. But if you give it time to relax, it behaves just fine…. PJH
February 12th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Hi Frank,
I read your answer about doubling the recipe but the amount of yeast to remain the same. But would it offset the baker’s percentage–reducing the percentage of yeast by half ?
Yes, the percentage of yeast to flour will be “off”. It’s not going to be a big deal at home. Now if you were working in bulk, think 20 loaves increased to 83 loaves, that is when Bakers Percentage is ideal. Frank @ KAF.
February 13th, 2012 at 10:09 am
I was reading the article about yeast and then saw the recipe for the pretzels. What a fun recipe to do. Can’t wait to try it out with my
four-year-old granddaughter. We’ll be graduating from thumbprint cookies to pretzels. I tried the original recipe on Saturday and on Sunday I doubled the recipe, using the same amount of yeast but less salt topping and butter with delicious results. I even tried your cinnamon sugar blend as an alternative topping with great results.
February 13th, 2012 at 10:58 am
PJ, you are such a mind reader!
Hubby and I were just saying to each other we needed to make soft pretzels and then your blog post shows up a couple of days later. That has happened more frequently than not!! LOVE the KAF blog.
I made these Friday night, and what a treat!! So easy and SO tasty. All eight of them were gone within an hour. This recipe is a sure fire winner with us. Thanks so much for sharing it.
This is a real “go to” recipe, isn’t it? You can really whip them up pretty quickly, and as you say – SO tasty! Thanks for sharing here – PJH
February 13th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Just made these tonight and they were TO DIE FOR. Seriously thank you! They didn’t last even half an hour out of the oven, and they were so easy to make. And I love the helpful pictures you posted!
Glad to hear it, Jess – try sprinkling with cinnamon sugar for a yummy variation… PJH
February 15th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
My kids were ecstatic with the snack that was waiting for them when they got home from school — hot pretzels! I used 50% white whole wheat and 50% AP flour. I lightly sprinkled the pretzels with kosher salt and baked for 8 minutes. They were just the right balance of buttery and salty. I personally would have like them with a bit chewier crust. Would I need to use all AP flour? Bake for 9 minutes? I have some non-diastatic malt powder — could I use that in this recipe? Thanks KAF!
There are a couple of ways to get a little more “chew”. You could use a little less water for a firmer dough. You could use a little more AP than WWW. Or you could replace the AP with an equal amount of Bread flour. Give it a try. Frank @ KAF.
February 16th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
I already rated these, but they’re that good I wanted to come say so on your blog too! My daughter (22 months) can’t get enough. A couple of days after making the first batch, she requested more. Of course I couldn’t turn her down. I’m not a big fan of pretzel salt, so I did half with a tiny bit of sea salt, which my husband had with honey mustard. The other half I waited till after the buttering, then sprinkled on cinnamon-sugar. Sooo good!!
Dawn, it’s so much fun when you can get little kids (who can be so picky) to eat and enjoy, isn’t it? Thanks for letting us know the pretzels are a hit in your house! PJH
February 22nd, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Today was my day off and I felt like baking instead of cleaning house so I made a batch of Hot Buttered Pretzels. Then I gave one to my husband and he loved them so I decided to make another double batch for supper to go along with the homemade chicken soup I was making (we all have colds this week). Well needless to say they were a hit. All of the recipes I have tried from your website have turned out perfect so I am always looking to check out the new recipes you post.
Thanks King Arthur for making me look like a fabulous cook. I was a good cook before I discovered you but now I am great!!!
Valerie, you’re warming my heart on this cold evening. I’m so happy we can help you bake your very best! PJH
February 27th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
I made these this past weekend. Always wanted to try making my own, never have before but this recipe and this how-to post encouraged me to finally give it a try. I had trouble shaping the dough into pretzel shapes but they baked up great and tasted delicious! Thank you for the instructions detailing the different ways (by hand, food processor) this dough could be made. That helped. (I’m new to bread/dough making, and very wary.) I’ll have to make them again sometime to work on my pretzel shaping ability but knowing how yummy they taste, it won’t be a hardship.
Kudos to you on your initial foray into the world of home baked breads – We’re glad the blog worked as your guide on the side! Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
February 27th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
How can I make these pretzels ahead of time? If it’s just a few hours ahead of time, can I just refrigerate them on the pan and then pop the pretzels into the oven when ready?
Yes, Julie, that would be a good solution. You could also bake them, DON’T butter, and cool to room temperature. Right before serving, reheat (5 minutes or so in a 350°F oven, tented with foil); then butter when they come out of the oven, and serve. PJH
March 2nd, 2012 at 12:28 pm
All I can say is dear lord, you KAF folks are simply THE BEST!!!!!!!!!! Your attention to the comments and always posting a response is simply wonderful. You have changed my life!!!
Wow, Lisa, that’s high praise indeed! Thanks so much for taking the time to post your kind words here – we really appreciate your enthusiasm! PJH
March 4th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I made these pretzels this afternoon and they’re awesome!! I also grew up in the South Jersey area and I remember going with my mom into the city and getting street vendor pretzels and frozen Superpretzel’s or Auntie Anne’s could never compare. I was surprised at how authentic they taste right out of my oven! Thank you for posting this great entry!!
March 15th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Yummy!
I’ve been thinking of using a dough like this to create Hot Pockets (since my hubby brought home a box of the horrid store-bought ones). Would this dough stand up to filling and freezing, you think?
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and technique you provide!
It sure would – it’s sturdier than most. Good idea – let us know how they come out, OK? PJH
March 24th, 2012 at 8:54 am
I only have active dry yeast – do I need to run out and get instant yeast, or is there a way to work with what I have? thanks!
You may use the same amount of active dry yeast in your recipe. ~Amy
April 27th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
I am making these now and I had to add a lot of extra flour before the dough wasn’t really sticky….why?! I followed the measurements given.
What flour are you using, Jamie? the recipe’s flour/water balance is written for our King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. If you’re using that – did it weigh 10 1/2 ounces? I think we can figure this out together… PJH
May 9th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
I have been making these wonderful authentic German soft pretzels for quite some time using lye wash and clearly prefer it to baking soda wash.
My question is; since I bake a lot of bread using King Arthur bread flower, what would be problematic using it for pretzels as well?
Also, at the advice of a baker (on YOUTUBE), I just ordered diastatic barley malt flour from King Arthur. Is this product as beneficial as it is made out to be?? I’m really anxious to give it a try.
Thanks in advance. glenn123
Glenn, you can certainly use KA bread flour for pretzels; if your recipe calls for all-purpose flour, simply increase the water a bit, to account for bread flour’s higher protein. I think perhaps a couple of teaspoons of extra water per cup of flour should do it. As for diastatic malt, its effect will be subtle; it you’re a seasoned bread baker, you’ll notice that it helps the yeast (and thus your bread’s rise); and also converts starch to sugar, helping the loaf brown better. Have fun with it – PJH