Soft Pretzels with a Baked Baking Soda Bath
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Bake the baking soda first, give each pretzel a one-minute simmer, and you get that dark, shiny, chewy crust. Brush them with butter the second they come out, and watch the kids fight over the saltiest ones.
The short version
Bake baking soda for an hour while a yeasted dough rises, shape 12 ropes into pretzels, simmer each for about a minute in the soda water, salt them and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Brush with butter while hot.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Bake the baking soda first. One hour in a low oven turns baking soda into a stronger alkali, which gives you the dark, glossy, tangy crust of a lye-dipped pretzel without handling lye. The oven does it while your dough rises.
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Use half bread flour. The extra protein gives the chew a good pretzel needs, while the all-purpose flour keeps the inside from turning tough.
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Brush with melted butter right out of the oven. The hot crust drinks it up, so the pretzels taste rich and the salt sticks.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Active dry yeast2¼ teaspoons
- All-purpose flour1½ cups
- Bread flour1½ cups
- Unsalted butter2 tablespoons
- Sugar1 tablespoon
Baking soda bath
Dough
To finish
yes, all of the butter
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Bake the baking soda
Heat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the ½ cup baking soda in an even layer and bake for 1 hour. It will look the same; it's now a stronger alkali. Set it aside and start the dough while it bakes.
Baked baking soda is irritating to skin. Don't touch it with wet hands, and let it cool before you handle it.
About 60 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Mix the dough
Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large bowl or stand mixer and let it sit 5 minutes until creamy. Add both flours, the melted butter, sugar and salt. Mix until a moist, shaggy dough forms, adding a spoonful of flour or water if it's too dry or sticky.
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Knead and rise
Knead about 10 minutes by hand, or on low to medium speed with the dough hook, until smooth and elastic. Put it in an oiled bowl, turn it once to coat, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1½ hours.
About 75 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Divide and rest
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. On an unfloured surface, roll each into a ball, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and rest 10 minutes. Grease two baking sheets.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Shape the pretzels
Roll each ball into an 18-inch rope, working from the center out and tapering the ends slightly. Bend the rope into a U, cross the ends over each other twice, then press the ends down onto the bottom of the U at about 10 and 2 o'clock. Set the pretzels on the sheets, cover, and let them rise until nearly doubled, about 35 minutes.
Use an unfloured counter. The dough needs a little grip to roll out long.
About 35 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Simmer in the bath
When the pretzels are almost risen, heat the oven to 400°F. Bring the 10 cups water to a boil in a wide pot, then add the baked baking soda slowly, since it foams. Reduce to a simmer. Slide in 2 or 3 pretzels at a time, simmer 30 seconds, flip, and simmer 30 seconds more until puffed. Lift out with a slotted spoon, pat dry on a towel, and return to the greased sheets. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
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Bake until mahogany
Bake until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Brush with the melted butter the moment they come out, then cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- Pretzels are best the day they're baked. Re-crisp day-old ones in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
- Don't use an aluminum pot for the bath, as the alkali can darken it. Stainless steel or enamel is fine.
- Not a fan of salt? Skip it and toss the buttered pretzels in cinnamon sugar instead.
- Storage. Airtight at room temperature, 1 to 2 days. Freeze baked pretzels, wrapped, up to 2 months; reheat from frozen at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I use plain baking soda instead of baking it first?
Yes, but the crust will be paler and less tangy. Dissolve 2/3 cup baking soda in the water and expect a lighter golden pretzel rather than a dark mahogany one.
Why did my pretzels come out pale?
The bath was too weak or too short. Bake the baking soda for the full hour, keep the water at a steady simmer, and give each side a full 30 seconds.
Why did my pretzels go wrinkly after the bath?
Over-proofed dough collapses when it hits the water. Simmer them when they're nearly doubled, not fully risen, and handle them gently.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. After the first rise, cover the dough and chill it up to 24 hours. Let it sit 20 minutes at room temperature, then shape, rise and bake as written.
Can I make these as pretzel bites?
Roll the dough into ropes about ¾ inch thick, cut into 1-inch pieces, simmer for 20 seconds, and bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
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Published October 29, 2026.