From-scratch Hard Pretzels

Cr unchy, salty, and the snack, are these homemade hard pretzels. If you are a fan of pretzels give this hard pretzels recipe a try! Eat alone or pair with your usual dip!

This is the best hard pretzel recipe we have tried so far. A simple pretzel dough that requires basic pantry ingredients. Then baked in the oven to crispy texture.

Whether you are wanting a pretzel snack, or making for an upcoming party, these pretzels are a success. Great for game-day snacking, movie night treat, and more.

Why we Love This Recipe

Pantry Ingredients – Raid your pantry and fridge and grab all you need for this pretzel recipe. Simple everyday ingredients are used for this simple recipe.

Dips For Hard Pretzels – Pair with your usual dips. Whether it is a beer cheese Queso dip honey mustard dip or any other dip you love for pretzels.

Stores Well – These store for around a week at room temperature, and you can even freeze them for an extended life. Which is what we do, and then pull out when we want one.

Grab our Free Kitchen Conversions Printable! This shows you how many cups are in a quart, pint, etc. It’s a great printable to keep handy for when you need to convert a recipe.

Ingredients Needed

Not sure what pretzels are made of? Here is all you need for making your own at home!

Flour – All purpose flour is what you will use for this recipe. You could use a bread flour as well if you would like.

Milk – Whole milk or 2% works best for making your pretzels.

Active Dry Yeast – You will need to proof your yeast to make sure it is active. Directions are in the recipe card at bottom of the post.

Brown Sugar – Just a hint of sweet to this recipe.

Baking Soda

Water

Egg – The binder needed for this recipe.

Sea Salt – A nice coarse salt is going to be the topper for these pretzels.

How to Make

Step 1: In a saucepan on the stove you will want to turn the heat to medium. Then add your milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Heat until it reaches 115 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from heat.

Step 2: Add in the active dry yeast and brown sugar, and stir lightly. Then let it sit for 5 minutes. The yeast will foam up, meaning it is blooming and activated.

Step 3: Now you will pour the milk into a large bowl and mix in the flour.

S tep 4: Knead the dough for 5 minutes and then cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for 1 hour or until it is doubled in size.

Step 5: Punch down the dough, and then cut it into 8 pieces. Preheat the oven and grease your cookie sheet and set it aside. Now you will work on your dough.

Step 6: Add 8 cups of water and the baking soda into a large pot and bring to a boil. While water is heating you will shape your dough. Grab one dough ball and roll it into 1″ thick rope. Then you will form a “u-shape” then twist the ends at the top. Invert the edges to the bottom of the u-shape and press together.

Step 7: Repeat until all are done. Then you will take a slotted spoon and place the pretzel dough in the boiling water, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Once done, remove and place on cookie sheet.

Step 8: Mix egg and 1 teaspoon water together, brush onto the pretzels, and top with salt. Then bake in the oven until the pretzels are done.

Serve and enjoy these crunchy and tasty pretzels!

Keeping leftovers

You will want your pretzels to fully cool, and then store in an airtight bag or container for around a week. They will begin to go stale as they get older.

You can also freeze the pretzels for a month in a freezer container.

Variations and Tips

• Flavor Pretzels – You are welcome to flavor your pretzels. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning season salt garlic salt creole seasoning, or any other flavors. Have fun and create different flavors to your pretzels to sprinkle on.
• You are welcome to try gluten free flour but we have not tried this for myself. So we can’t fully vouch how it works and the flavor.
• For a sweet hard pretzel, sprinkle with coarse sugar and dust with cinnamon for a cinnamon and sugar pretzel.
• If the yeast doesn’t bloom that means your pretzels will not rise properly.
• Feel free to do any shape of pretzel. Depending on the shape and size of your pieces the cook time will vary.

Practical notes

Are pretzels supposed to be hard or soft?

Pretzels can be purchased hard or soft. You will find both styles are popular. Hard pretzels can be purchased in the chip aisle at your local grocery store. For soft pretzels specialty shops sell them, or you can buy them in the freezer section. Sometimes bakeries at stores have them on hand as well.

What state eats the most pretzels?

Pennsylvania eats the most pretzels out of all the states!

What gives pretzels their unique taste?

You will find the coarse salt sprinkled on top, and the texture are what make pretzels so. Whether soft or crunchy the salt brings out tons of flavor in the dough used to make homemade pretzels.

Are pretzels fried?

Pretzels are dipped in boiling water for a bit, then baked in the oven. They are not fried and contain fewer calories than some brands of chips.

Do you need yeast to make pretzels?

For this recipe, you will need yeast. You will find there are some pretzel recipes online that don’t require the use of yeast.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 8 cups plus 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 egg, room temperature
• Sea salt

Equipment

• Kitchen Thermometer
• Slotted Spoons For Cooking and Frying
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Cookie Sheet

Method

1. In a saucepan on the stove you will add your butter and milk to the pan and heat until it reaches 115 degrees. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the yeast and the brown sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. The yeast mixture should begin to foam up. This means your yeast is activated.
3. Now pour the milk mixture into a bowl, and then work in the flour, and then knead it for 5 minutes.
4. Once it forms a ball you will place in a clean greased bowl and cover with cheesecloth or plastic wrap. Let it sit for an hour or until it doubles in size.
5. Punch down the dough, and then cut it into 8 equal parts.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease your baking sheet. Then bring your 8 cups water to a boil with the baking soda in it.
7. Now you will shape your pretzels. Roll out into 1 " thick ropes. Formthe rope into a U-shape, then take both ends and twist twice at thetop. Invert the twisted edges to the bottom of the U-shape and pressdough together to secure.
8. Use a slotted spoon and place the pretzels a few at a time in the water, and let boil for 2 minutes. Then remove the pretzels and place on greased cookie sheet.
9. Then you will add your egg, 1 teaspoon water in a bowl and whisk. Brush over the top of each pretzel, and sprinkle with sea salt.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then drop heat to 350 degrees for another 10-12 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and allow the hard pretzels to cool then store or serve!

Kitchen notes

Storage

– You can store your pretzels in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. Or freeze for 1 month. Double Recipe – Feel free to double the recipe if you would like. Just batch cook the pretzels if you need. You just want to leave space between each pretzels in the water and when it bakes. Yeast – You need to make sure the yeast bubbles and foams up. Otherwise, it means your yeast is activated. Otherwise, if it doesn’t foam, the yeast is dead and your pretzel dough won’t rise.