Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels are easy to make and so delicious. No need to head to the mall when you can make them for less at home. Only 16 cents a piece! I’m not sure anyone’s auntie can beat that.
Even better, these pretzels freeze and thaw beautifully. You may just want to bake a double batch and hide some away in the freezer for later.
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Soft pretzels are a delicious treat. Whether you like yours with tons of crusty salt, no salt, dipped in mustard or cheese sauce, or sweetened up with cinnamon sugar, there’s a soft pretzel out there for everyone.
These little baked goodies are easy to prepare, but there are a few steps involved. Consider making several batches in a row so that you can eat your fill and still have some to freeze for later.
Why make this
They are delicious! Making them at home elevates them to a super-duper-outstanding level of deliciousness.
They are cheaper than what you can buy elsewhere. No trawling through the mall when you can make it yourself for less!
They are fun to make. Kids (of all ages!) will enjoy making these fun soft pretzels.
Ingredients
The ingredients list for soft pretzels is pretty straightforward. It’s all regular pantry staples for baking!
water and milk – These are the liquids used in this recipe. You can use any milk you like, but the higher the fat content, the richer the flavor will be. You can omit the milk and use another cup of water if need be.
granulated sugar – The addition of sugar effects the texture of the dough as well as adds a bit of sweetness. You can use honey, sucanat, or brown sugar if you prefer.
bread flour – A good quality bread flour can make a big difference in your yeast breads. I like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur.
whole wheat flour – To make a heartier pretzel, I use a bit of whole wheat flour. You can use another cup of bread flour instead if you prefer.
salt – Salt is a necessary addition to yeast dough. Do not omit this. The flavor will be off.
dry active yeast – Yeast is necessary for this dough to rise. I buy it in bulk at Costco and store it in the freezer to keep it fresh.
water and baking soda for boiling the pretzels – Boiling the pretzels in a baking soda bath is what gives them a distinctive texture. You can skip this part but the end product will taste more like a roll than a pretzel.
coarse salt for sprinkling – The salt sprinkle at the end is characteristic of soft pretzels. You can also use Everything Seasoning if you prefer.
Variations
You might be used to seeing soft pretzels at the mall sprinkled with coarse salt. You can Enjoy Homemade Pretzels in Lots of Fun Ways, including buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar as well as topped with Everything Seasoning. It’s great on Everything Hamburger Buns.
To make sweet pretzels: Do not sprinkle salt or seasoning on the boiled bagels. Bake them plain. Once they come out of the oven, you can brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar. Allow them to cool slightly on a rack before serving.
To make more savory pretzels: If you like these whole wheat soft pretzels, be sure to try our Garlic Herb Pretzel recipe, too.
Step by Step Instructions
How to make the dough
Making the dough is super simple. You can do this in a bread machine, by hand, or in a stand mixer.
To make the dough in a bread machine:
Place the ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order listed by the manufacturer. Set the dough cycle and hit start.
To make the dough by hand or in a stand mixer:
In a mixing bowl, warm the water and milk slightly and combine it with the sugar and yeast. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes. It should bubble and foam.
Then add the flours and salt. Knead the dough.
- If you’re making it by hand, stir until you have a sticky dough but all the flour is incorporated. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic.
- If you’re making it in the stand mixer, install the bread hook and knead into a smooth dough ball forms, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Set into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
While the dough is rising, prepare two rimmed sheet pans by lining them with parchment paper.
Once the dough has risen, you’re ready to form the pretzels! This process is super fun and one that kids will enjoy helping with.
How to form the pretzels
Divide the dough into 12 equal(ish) portions.
Roll each portion into a long snack, about 18 inches long.
Shape the snake into a U or horseshoe shape.
Cross the sides of the horseshoe, about halfway up.
Twist them again.
Flip the twisted ends over the top of the pretzel and press them into the bottom of the U. Continue until all the pretzels are shaped.
Next, it’s time to boil and bake them.
How to boil and bake the pretzels
Once all the pretzels are shaped, you can boil and bake them.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stovetop.
- Add the baking soda slowly and carefully, this may cause lots of boiling and bubbling.
- Drop the formed pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time. You can fit 3 to 4 into the pot at once. Boil for about 30 seconds and remove to the parchment.
- Sprinkle them with coarse salt or everything seasoning, if desired.Once all the pretzels have been boiled, bake them for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a rack to cool.
Freezing instructions
Cooled pretzels can be stored in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw, wrapped, on the countertop at room temperature. Reheat in a warm oven for five minutes to refreshen, if desired.
FAQ
Similar to bagels, soft pretzels are made from yeast dough that is shaped, risen, boiled, and baked. The resulting baked good is soft and chewy and packed with flavor.
Soft pretzels are delicious as a snack served plain, sprinkled with sugar or salt, or dipped into a sauce like mustard or melted cheese.
But pretzels aren’t just for snacking! They also make a fun addition to your dinner bread basket.
Consider serving them alongside a bowl of soup like this Spring Vegetable Soup for a fun side. For the full “Octoberfest” experience, serve them with Sauerkraut and Pork and a hearty beer. Soft pretzels are also a great addition to a Snacky Dinner.
Believe it or not, pretzels have a much more spiritual history than mere mega malls. In fact, it is said that medieval monks developed pretzels as a way to help children learn their prayers. The pretzel shape is supposed to be reminiscent of praying hands.
And, believe it or not, pretzels have their roots in the history of Easter. Since eggs and butter were forbidden foods during Lent — and since many pretzel recipes can be made without eggs and butter, pretzels were a permissible food during that time.
Eggs, a food that one would abstain from during Lent, would be hardboiled for longer storage. And eventually it came about that children were served two hard boiled eggs nestled in the hollows of a pretzel on Easter morning. That pretzel eventually evolved into “the Easter Basket.” Pretty cool, eh?
Who knew? Personally, I’d rather have a Whole Wheat Soft Pretzel than the basket!
The dough to soft pretzels is similar to a roll, so what makes them taste so… pretzely? It’s the baking soda bath!
Boiling the shaped pretzels in a hot pot of water and baking soda gives them texture and their distinct flavor.
Could you skip the boiling? You could, but you’ll miss out on the flavor and chewy texture. Unboiled pretzels will basically taste like rolls.
Recipe costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- milk – $0.17
- sugar – $0.02
- bread flour – $0.87
- whole wheat flour – $0.22
- salt – $0.02
- yeast – $0.33 (if purchased in a single packet)
- baking soda – $0.25
- coarse salt for sprinkling – $0.04
At non-sale prices at a mid-range grocery store, it costs $1.92/dozen or 16 cents each to make your own homemade pretzels.
Alternatively, you can buy 6 for $3.69 (or 62 cents each) in the freezer section. Homemade will get almost 4 times as many for the same price!
How to save even more on this recipe
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – Buying things in bulk such as yeast, baking soda, and flour will bring the price of this recipe down even more.
Other easy breads to bake
Tell us what you think!
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Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer
- bread machine
- large mixing bowl
- bench knife
- cutting board
- heavy duty sheet pan
- parchment paper
- heavy stockpot
- large slotted spoon or skimmer
Ingredients
- ½ cup water warmed
- 1 cup milk warmed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 cup bread flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 8 cup water
- ¼ cup baking soda
- coarse salt
Instructions
To make the dough in a bread machine:
- Place the ½ cup water, milk, sugar, flours, salt, and yeast in the bread pan. Set the machine on dough. When the cycle ends, remove the dough to a lightly oiled surface.
To make the dough by hand:
- In a mixing bowl, add the warm water and milk slightly and combine it with the sugar and yeast. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes. It should bubble and foam.
- Then add the flours and salt. Stir until you have a sticky dough but all the flour is incorporated.
- Turn it onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic. Set into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
To make the dough in a stand mixer:
- Add the warm water and milk to the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the sugar and yeast. Let the yeast proof for 5 minutes. It should bubble and foam.
- Add the flours and salt. Install the bread hook and knead into a smooth dough ball forms, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Place the dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Once the dough is ready:
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring the 8 cups water to a boil in a large stockpot.
- Transfer the dough to a floured cutting board or smooth work surface. With a dough knife or sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a long snake, about 18 inches long. Shape the snake into a horseshoe. Twist the sides of the horseshoe, about halfway up, around each other twice. Flip the ends over onto the U of the horseshoe. Press to seal. Continue until all the pretzels are shaped.
- Add the baking soda to the pot of water and continue to boil. Drop the formed pretzels, one at a time into the soda bath. Boil for about 30 seconds and remove to the prepared parchment with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with coarse salt or everything seasoning, if desired.
- Once all the pretzels have been “bathed,” bake them for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove them to a rack to cool.
- Store cooled pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze them for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 28, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Cindy
These look SO good! My dad grew up in PA, so when we go back for a visit, the first thing he and I do is look for a pretzel stand. We’ll happily have pretzels with mustard for breakfast. The rest of the family thinks we’re a little nuts, but so be it! I can’t do sweet pretzels…that’s just WRONG! ;-). Like taco pizza, some things just shouldn’t be…
Cindy
Heide
ok, you just don’t know….I’ve been searching for a pretzel recipe since December. My mother used to make them, but since she is no longer with us, I don’t have her recipe. I wanted a recipe where I could use my bread machine to make the dough process easier. I never found that recipe. Till now.
Thank you! I can’t wait to try these!
Heather @ CreativeFamilyMoments
I’m salivating! Recipe is printing and I can’t wait! Thanks!
Laura
I buy fast rising yeast and soy lecithin from Fast Easy Bread. I can make dough in 15 mins and then skip to the shaping and boiling. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you for the idea and history.
Caitlin
We made these yesterday and my 6 year-old rolled and shaped them all himself. They were fantastic! Thanks so much for this great recipe and the history!!!
Anna
Do you think you can you sub AP for most of the bread flour and sub in a little more whole wheat flour to up the protien content (thus replacing the need for bread flour)? Or do you think that would make them too tough?
Jessica
@Anna, hmmm… good question. I’m not really sure. Wanna try and let us know? 😉
Anna
@Jessica, Gave it a try- they came out delicious! I remember hearing a TV chef remark that you can sub AP for bread flour if you mix in a little whole wheat flour to up the protien content… Guess it’s true!
Sabrina
I would add a little bit of baking powder and salt (sort of like adding self rising flour). 1 cup AP, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt =1 cup self rising flour. I’m going to try and make these like this soon, as I like to use more whole wheat flour.
Amy
I made these last night. I used a mixer instead of a bread maker. I also used all Hard Whie Wheat freshly ground.
These are SO GOOD! They taste better then what you get at the mall!!
The only thing I changed was the temp! I moved it down to 390 for the second batch because the first batch got a little brown on the bottom. I didn’t have the paper to put down so that might have not helped. I’ll try it that way this weekend!
JL Gosey
@Amy, Are you saying you used 100% hard white wheat and no bread flour? I was wondering about doing that myself as I read through the recipe. Did you change any other ingredients?
Amy
@JL Gosey,
JL – Yes! I used 100 % Freshly ground Hard White Wheat. I did not use any bread flour or make any other changes to her Recipe.
I also used the parchment paper when I made them this past weekend and had no issue with them getting too brown.
They are so very good and with the Hard White Wheat they taste even better than the ones at the mall!!
Jan at Jewelry4Change
Oooooo, these look so good! Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to try them.
Christi
I love your blog and appreciate how well-rounded your Life As Mom blog is, as well. However, I wanted to point out that you can’t really call something whole wheat if the whole wheat flour only makes up 1/4th of the flour in the recipe. I think, but am not sure, that it is okay as long as it makes up more than 50% of the flour in the recipe. Nevertheless, these sound yummy and I may have to make them soon!
Jessica
Well, I am guessing you’re probably right, especially if I was selling the product. But, since they taste so wheaty already, I don’t think I would add more. But, I will remember that o the next one.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
I printed them out right away, they look awesome. We actually just bought some frozen ones at Costco but as soon as those are gone, I’m making these, thanks!
Amy
These look great! Cant wait to try them on saturday
Kelley
You have an incredible way about you that makes almost anything seem easy to make at home. I have seen pretzel recipes before and I was very intimidated to attempt it. This seems doable and very fun! My children will LOVE the roll into snakes part. Thanks! And thanks for history behind them..will share while making!!
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook)
I never knew the pretzel background story 🙂 How cool!
We make soft pretzels here too… usually smothered in cinnamon sugar, because you’re right, Jessica, the whole wheat makes them taste healthy, and we usually end up using all whole wheat (the freshly ground stuff we use doesn’t make them as dense as store bought whole wheat would, so we can get by with it). Thanks for the new recipe.
Emily
Where do you get freshly ground whole wheat, and how expensive is it?
Jessica
I don’t get freshly ground, just bought a huge bag from the co-op. Many folks have their own mills, though, and grind wheat at home.
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook)
@Emily, Exactly. I think some stores like Hyvee offer to grind wheat fresh for you in their natural foods department. I have a wheat grinder and I buy 50 pounds of wheat “kernels” at a time for $24. I think it takes our baked goods over the top compared to how they used to taste when I tried using all whole wheat store-bought flour.
Kimberly
@Steph (The Cheapskate Cook),
Steph,
What kind of wheat grinder do you have?
I have been dreaming of grinding my own wheat! Thanks!
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook)
@Kimberly, I have a Wonder Mill, which I *love*. It can grind multiple types of grain, including corn for fresh corn meal. It’s a big investment, but my husband actually had our family all pitch in for my birthday one year, so that made it extremely affordable ;-).
Brandette
We use bread and all-purpose flours. Could I change up the recipe to only use the bread flour??
Jessica
Yes. They’d be over the top good that way. The wheat makes them taste healthy. 😉
Dawn
Thanks for this recipe! My daughter was just saying the other day that she wanted to make pretzels 🙂
Mo'Betta
These look fabulous! and I didn’t know that little tidbit of the Easter basket. I had boiled eggs for breakfast since I’m cutting carbs this week, and then you go post these yummy pretzels that my kids would love!! Torture 😉 But I’m definitely bookmarking it for the very near future!
Shannon L
Wow! You never cease to amaze me with your ability to find ways to prepare food that is not only delicious, but also healthy(ier). Best of all, it looks soo yummy!
I’ve got to get a breadmaker so I can make these. Then again, I might be stuck in the kitchen day in and day out!
Jessica
@Shannon L, you’re sweet. You can make them without a bread machine, just follow standard procedure for traditional bread. Warm the milk and water, add the other ingredients, knead, and rise. I’m just too lazy to learn how to do that well.
Ela
@Jessica, Jessica, Thanks for posting the pretzel recipe. If cooking without a bread machine, do let the dough rise before you water bath them or after? Thanks! Ela
Jessica
Yes, let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Jenni
Thank you for sharing this story. At Easter here (Portugal) and in Germany, we see breads (and maybe pretzels–can’t remember) with hard boiled eggs sticking out. Helps us understand why now. Looks like a great recipe too!
Dorothy
Thank you for posting this recipe!!!! I’ve tried a few (flops!) pretzel recipes. My kids LOVE them and I can’t wait to try this one.
Lee
I love all things pretzels! I love both the sweet and savory, but I think I really like butter and salt together 🙂