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Homemade Pretzels

Prep Time2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 Tbsp yeast
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup bread flour optional, substitute for all purpose if desire
  • 3-4 cups all purpose flour

Baking Soda Bath

  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 3 cups HOT water

Toppings

  • 1/4 cup coarse sea salt or pretzel salt
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl (either connected to a stand mixer or not if mixing by hand), mix together the warm water, yeast and brown sugar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to proof, or foam.
  • Knead in the melted butter, salt, and flour, adding 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading the dough for 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and tacky.
  • Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly greased surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Cover the dough and let it rest 10 more minutes. This will help the dough to keep it's shape while rolling.
  • Roll each portion of dough into a rope 20-30 inches long, depending on how large of a pretzel you want. To form the pretzels, make a U shape, cross the ends over each other, twist the ends once and press the ends onto the bottom of the U. See the instructional video on doughbydanielle.com.
  • Create the baking soda bath by mixing together the baking soda and hot water until the baking soda dissolves. Dip each pretzel into the bath. Pat the bottom of the pretzel lightly with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture, if desired. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • If making salted pretzels, sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt, if making cinnamon and sugar pretzels leave them plain.
  • Bake at 450 degrees F for 5 minutes. Turn the pan 180 degrees and bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
  • If making cinnamon and sugar pretzels, mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
  • Brush each pretzel with melted butter. Sprinkle more coarse salt onto the salted pretzels and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the rest. Enjoy!