Soft Pretzels
A firm, lightly buttered dough dipped in simmering soda water before baking, which is what gives the mahogany skin and the tang.
- Prep
- 35m
- Cook
- 14m
- Waiting
- 1h 20m
- Total
- 2h 9m
- Serves
- 8 pretzels
- Effort
- Moderate
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 500 g | Knead 8 minutes to a smooth, firm dough 10m | Prove 1 hour until doubled 1h | Roll into 60 cm ropes, twist into pretzels, and chill 20 minutes 35m Firm dough holds its shape in the bath instead of unravelling. | Dip 30 seconds in the simmering soda bath, drain well, then salt 10m Wear gloves and use a stainless pan — alkaline water is harsh on skin and aluminium. | Bake at 220°C / 425°F for 14 minutes until deep mahogany 14m They go from tan to done in the last two minutes. Watch them. | |
| 300 g | ||||||
| 30 g | ||||||
| 15 g | ||||||
| 7 g | ||||||
| 10 g | ||||||
| 60 g | ||||||
| 2 tbsp | ||||||
| 20 g | ||||||
-
Knead 8 minutes to a smooth, firm dough
10m- strong white bread flour 500 g
- water 300 g
- unsalted butter 30 g
- light brown sugar 15 g
- instant yeast 7 g
- fine salt 10 g
-
Prove 1 hour until doubled
1h- from 1 Knead 8 minutes to a smooth, firm dough
-
Roll into 60 cm ropes, twist into pretzels, and chill 20 minutes
35m- from 2 Prove 1 hour until doubled
Firm dough holds its shape in the bath instead of unravelling.
-
Dip 30 seconds in the simmering soda bath, drain well, then salt
10m- from 3 Roll into 60 cm ropes, twist into pretzels, and chill 20 minutes
- bicarbonate of soda 60 g
- coarse pretzel salt 2 tbsp
Wear gloves and use a stainless pan — alkaline water is harsh on skin and aluminium.
-
Bake at 220°C / 425°F for 14 minutes until deep mahogany
14m- from 4 Dip 30 seconds in the simmering soda bath, drain well, then salt
- unsalted butter (optional) 20 g
They go from tan to done in the last two minutes. Watch them.
The alkaline dip
Browning in bread is mostly the Maillard reaction between amino acids and sugars, and it runs far faster in alkaline conditions. A bicarbonate bath at around pH 8.5 to 9 lifts the surface well above the dough’s natural acidity, so the crust darkens and sets within minutes rather than drying out first. It also partially breaks down surface proteins, giving that distinctive savoury, faintly mineral flavour that no amount of extra oven time will reproduce.
Notes
- Bake bicarbonate on a tray at 130°C for an hour to make it more strongly alkaline. It is a noticeable upgrade and costs nothing.
- Salt after the bath, while the surface is still wet, or it will not stick.
- They are best within two hours. Revive next-day pretzels for four minutes in a hot oven.