Baked Soft Pretzels

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This quick pretzel recipe doesn't require any rise time. You'll appreciate how easy and delicious they are. We've provided instructions for both the baking soda and lye bath method.

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook time: 15 min

Yield: 12

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) lukewarm warm water

• 2 and 1/4 tsp (7g) instant or active dry yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp brown sugar or granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool

• 3 and 3/4 - 4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour plus more for hands and work surface

• coarse salt for sprinkling

Baking Soda Bath (step 6)

• 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda

• 9 cups (2,160ml) water

Lye Bath (step 7)

• 2L (2000mL) water

• 20g lye (1% solution) * see end of recipe for alternate lye bath concentrations.

Directions

1. Whisk the yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 1 min. Whisk in salt, brown sugar and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attached to stand mixer) until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.

2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 mins and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 mins. Meanwhile, get the water + baking soda boiling.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.

4. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections.

5. With your hands, roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape. ***CHOOSE BAKING SODA OR LYE METHOD***

6. Baking Soda Bath: Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 8.

7. 1% Lye Bath: Read safety information for handling lye below. Alternate Concentrations for lye bath included below. Add 2 litres of water to a stainless steel pot. Add in the 20g of lye powder and stir to dissolve. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER. Bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the stove. Bathe pretzels in the bath for 10 seconds, flip over and bathe for 10 seconds more. Remove with a slotted spoon and let the excess water drip off before placing onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 8.

9. Remove from the oven and serve warm with beer cheese dip.

10. Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F for 5 minutes.

Safety Precautions for Working with Lye

• Use a Stainless Steel pot and utensils when working with a Lye bath.

• Always add the Lye to the Water. Lye is highly reactive and can be very dangerous if you do not do this in the right order.

• Always use Food Grade Lye not the stuff you find in the hardware store.

• Ventilate your kitchen, open the windows and turn on the hood fan.

• Avoid hovering over the pot and breathing in the fumes.

• Do not touch the lye or anything else that has come into contact with the lye solution (utensils, weighing containers etc.) until they have been rinsed thoroughly and washed. Rinse immediately if it comes into contact with your skin.

• Avoid splashing or dripping the lye solution on your counter or floor, it can cause permanent damage.

• The Lye bath can be poured down the sink drain when your are done with it. Be sure to flush it down with plenty of water.

• Link to Full Material Safety Data Sheet

Alternate Lye Bath Concentrations

If you would like a stronger pretzel taste and a more brown surface to your pretzel, use a stronger lye bath.

For a 2% solution use 40g lye in 2L water.

For a 3% solution use 60g lye in 2L water.

For a 4% solution use 80g lye in 2L water.

This amazing recipe was written by Sally McKenney. Find it on the website Sally's Baking Addiction.