Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe
These are delicious soft pretzels. Count carefully and you'll discover one is missing! Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe
My two-year-old granddaughter and I continue our baking apprenticeship. I had a craving for soft pretzels.
I went to Grok.com and found the following recipe. The only thing I had trouble with was getting the dough to form into ropes with a consistent diameter.
I then rushed the process of creating the loops. I watched this pretzel loop video. Look how perfect her dough ropes are.
The pretzels were soft and delicious!
Here are photos of the pretzels being made. The recipe is below the photos.
These are the chunks of dough before rolling the ropes. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
The rope is supposed to be between 20 and 24 inches long. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
These are the pretzels just before bathing them in the baking soda bath. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
These are the pretzels just after taking them out of the oven. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
Here's the easy recipe:
Tim—here’s an easy recipe for big, soft, chewy pretzels with a salty crust. No stand mixer or long rise required; the dough rests for just 10 minutes. This version is adapted from Served From Scratch’s homemade soft pretzels.
Easy Large Soft Pretzels
Makes: 8 large pretzels
Total time: About 45–55 minutes
Oven: 450°F
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ cups warm water, about 90–100°F
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, one standard packet
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1¼ teaspoons table salt
About 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the baking-soda bath:
10 cups water
⅔ cup baking soda—not baking powder
For topping:
1 egg, beaten
Coarse pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt
Melted butter, optional, for brushing after baking
Instructions
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Add the melted butter and salt. Stir in the flour gradually until you have a soft dough that holds together and is no longer very sticky. You may not need every bit of flour.
Knead and rest. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 3–5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare the oven and bath. Heat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or lightly greased parchment. In a large pot, combine the 10 cups water and baking soda and bring to a boil.
Shape the pretzels. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope about 20–24 inches long. Form a U, cross the two ends over each other and twist once, then fold those ends down onto the bottom curve of the U. Press gently to attach. Leave generous openings—the dough will puff up.
Give them a quick bath. Using a wide slotted spatula, carefully lower one or two pretzels into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds total, lift out, let excess water drain off, and transfer to the baking sheets.
Top and bake. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until golden brown.
Finish. Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes. For a buttery finish, brush with a little melted butter while still warm.
Two keys to getting them right
Don’t skip the baking-soda bath. It gives the outside its characteristic pretzel flavor and chewy crust. Keep the dip brief—leaving them in too long can affect the flavor.
Use all-purpose flour for a softer bite. Bread flour also works, but makes a somewhat chewier pretzel. Serve warm with mustard or cheese dip.
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.