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. And the baking soda bath is the secret that gives pretzels their distinctive and traditional flavour.

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

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.

6. 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 7.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

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

9. 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.

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