Homemade Soft Buttered Pretzels are easy and quick to make for an after school or midday snack. The soft dough rises quickly and results in a super soft texture after baking. Top with butter and kosher salt for an absolutely delicious flavor.

A special treat

If you’d like to change things up, you can most certainly top these pretzels with a seasoning like ranch or sour cream and onion powder, or make them sweet with cinnamon and sugar! If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy our Easy and Fast Cinnamon Twist Loaf or these easy breadsticks!

Invite your little helpers

This recipe is simple enough for children to help make. It only takes a few ingredients and basic steps, and in less than an hour you’ll be sinking your teeth into a buttery little bite of heaven! I can GUARANTEE that your baking sheet will be empty within minutes.

Homemade Soft Buttered Pretzels

Surprise your family with these amazing warm buttery homemade pretzels, and watch them disapear from the pan within seconds!

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 10

Total Time 50

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast I use SAF-instant
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Kosher or sea salt for sprinkling

Pretzel water bath

1/2 cup warm water
1 TBSP baking soda

Instructions

I like to use my stand mixer for this recipe, but it can be mixed by hand.
Combine water, yeast and sugar. Allow mixture activate for 5 minutes, the yeast should become foamy.
Next, add salt and flour, one cup at a time while stirring/mixing. The dough will become dry and shaggy looking if you're stirring by hand. Pour dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for a few minutes until the dough becomes smooth, springy and well incorporated.
Cover your dough with a clean tea towel and allow to rise on the counter for 30 minites.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by adding a parchment paper or spraying with non-stick spray.
Cut the risen dough in half, and in half again, and again until you have 8 even pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a rope about 12" long. Twist into a pretzel or knot shape and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine a 1/2 cup of water and a tablespoon of baking soda. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir.
Carefully and quickly dip each pretzel into the bowl of hot water, flipping to cover each side. Dab extra liquid on a towel before placing on baking sheet.
Spirinkle with kosher salt or a topping of your choice. Cinnamon and sugar, garlic powder, sour cream and onion or ranch powder, anything you love!
Pretzels will puff up a bit while the oven heats. When it is ready, bake pretzels for 8-10 minutes. They should be a nice golden brown. I like to brush mine with melted butter. At this point you better be ready to grab one because your family will smell these little heavenly wonders and they will disappear very quickly. Happy pretzel making!

Notes

Be sure to give your yeast a few moments to activate. If your yeast mixture doesn’t get foamy, your water may have been too hot and killed it. You can start again. Adding the sugar in will help it activate. Yeast feeds on sugar, but is killed by salt. That’s why it is important to add your salt and flour later.
You can use many toppings for these pretzels. They can also be cut into small bites instead of folded into a pretzel shape. If you do this, try to turn/stir them once during the baking process.

Keyword pretzels

Method:

Here are some images to help you visualize the process. The most important part is just making sure your yeast is active. You’ll want to give it time to get nice and foamy before you add your other dry ingredients. I always add a pinch of sugar to help activate my yeast (a secret trick!).