How to Make Pretzels From Scratch

Follow this step-by-step recipe to bake the ultimate concession stand treat

Some things are just better when they’re made from scratch—and making something with your own two hands provides such satisfaction. When you cook from scratch, you know exactly what ingredients go into your meals, and it offers you the flexibility to adjust your recipe for dietary or taste preferences.

One of my favourite items to get at summer concession stands is a soft pretzel. Nothing against their crunchy counterparts—which I also enjoy, but a warm, soft, salty pretzel is the best.

As luck would have it, they’re pretty easy to make at home too. It might take you some practice to get the knots twisted perfectly (but who cares, because they taste the same).

Throw in some homemade beer cheese to dip on the side, or mustard if you prefer, and this is just an awesome snack.Christine McAvoy

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups warm water
• 2 ¼  tsp (~7g) dry active dry yeast (about one packet)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted, melted
• 4 cups all-purpose flour (additional for working with the dough)
• Kosher salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling
• ⅓ cup baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the water, salt and sugar until combined/dissolved, then mix in the yeast. Let this stand for five to 10 minutes until it becomes bubbly/foamy.
2. Add one tablespoon of oil, and then the flour a small amount at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon until the flour has been incorporated.
3. Move to a clean, floured surface, and knead until a smooth ball forms.
4. Coat the bowl with the second tablespoon of oil, and drop the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
5. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450°, fill a large pot with water and bring to a low boil, adding ⅓ cup of baking soda. (This improves the texture and the colour of the pretzels!)
6. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into even pieces—I made smaller ones because there were more people to share with, but you can make them any size you like, just make sure they’re even.
7. Roll the cut dough into long ropes, making a circle with ends overlapping, twist and pulling across to the opposite end. Pinch the ends down to help keep the shape. (If you can’t figure this out, there are lots of tutorials—just do an internet search. And don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.)
8. Place a silicone mat on a baking sheet, or grease some parchment paper and set aside.
9. With a slotted spoon, lower one or two pretzels at a time into the baking soda bath for 30 seconds, flipping over halfway, and then removing with the slotted spoon, allowing the pretzels to drain as much as possible.
10. Sprinkle the pretzels that just came out of the bath with your coarse salt before moving on to the next, so it sticks to them better.
11. Repeat until all pretzels are on the baking sheet and have been salted.
12. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, watching them after 10 to make sure they don’t burn (especially if they’re on the smaller side). Then remove from oven and—using a pastry brush—brush them with the melted butter and add any more salt as desired.
13. Serve warm with your choice of dip!