Description
This Easy 30 Minute Homemade Soft Pretzels recipe yields warm, golden-brown pretzels with a perfect soft and chewy texture. Made with simple pantry ingredients, these pretzels skip boiling and use an egg wash for a glossy finish and a delicious salty crust. Ideal for a snack or party treat, you can shape them into classic pretzels or fun shapes like letters or hearts.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the instant yeast, warm water, honey, and salt. Let it sit for a minute to allow the yeast to activate slightly before mixing.
- Make the dough: Stir in the flour and mix using the dough hook attachment until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 1-2 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky, but not clingy when shaped.
- Preheat the oven: While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) to ensure it’s hot for baking the pretzels.
- Shape the pretzels: Tear off pieces of the dough and shape them into pretzels, letters, hearts, or other fun shapes. Place each shaped piece onto a lined or greased baking sheet. Work on one baking sheet at a time to match baking times.
- Apply egg wash and salt: Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the mixture generously over each shaped pretzel. Sprinkle coarse salt evenly on top for the classic pretzel flavor and texture.
- Bake the pretzels: Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown and shiny on top.
- Cool and serve: Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack to cool slightly, then enjoy fresh and warm for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Using instant yeast speeds up the process, no need to proof.
- Honey enhances browning and adds subtle sweetness, but sugar works as well.
- If dough is too sticky, add flour sparingly while shaping.
- Egg wash is critical for that glossy, golden crust since the recipe skips the traditional boiling step.
- Coarse kosher or sea salt provides the optimal salty crunch on top.
- For variation, try sprinkling with cinnamon sugar instead of salt for a sweet twist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pretzel
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: soft pretzels, homemade pretzels, easy pretzels, quick snack, yeast pretzels, pretzel recipe
