Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe with Cinnamon Sugar and Sea Salt
Homemade soft pretzels look like a bakery project, but the dough is simple, forgiving, and perfect for a bread machine. This recipe makes chewy, golden pretzels with two finishing options: buttery sea salt or sweet cinnamon sugar.
The best part is the contrast. The baking soda bath gives each pretzel that classic chewy crust, while the inside stays soft and warm. Serve them fresh from the oven, and they will disappear fast.
Ingredients
Pretzel dough
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
For boiling and baking
Water, for boiling
Baking soda, for the boiling water
1 beaten egg
For the toppings
4 tablespoons melted butter
Sea salt, for salted pretzels
For cinnamon sugar pretzels
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the best texture, use bread flour. It gives the pretzels a chewier bite than all-purpose flour.
Make the dough in a bread machine
Using a bread machine keeps this recipe very low effort. Add the pretzel base ingredients to the bread machine pan in this order:
Water
Butter
Sugar
Salt
Bread flour
Instant yeast
Choose the dough setting and let the machine mix, knead, and rise the dough.
When the cycle is finished, the dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly puffy. If it feels very sticky, dust your hands and work surface with a little flour before shaping.
Make the dough without a bread machine
No bread machine? No problem. The dough is easy to make by hand or with a stand mixer.
Warm the water until it feels lukewarm, not hot. Add the water, butter, sugar, salt, bread flour, and instant yeast to a large mixing bowl.
Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 6 to 8 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 5 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
If your kitchen is cool, the dough may need a little more time. Go by how it looks, not just the clock.
Shape the pretzels
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into equal pieces. For large pretzels, divide the dough into 8 pieces. For smaller snack-size pretzels, divide it into 8 to 10 pieces.
Roll each piece into a long rope. Aim for about 18 to 24 inches long for large pretzels. Make a U shape, cross the ends over each other, then fold the twisted ends down onto the bottom curve. Press lightly so the shape holds.
If the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.
Boil and bake the pretzels
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add baking soda carefully, since it may bubble up. A generous baking soda bath is what gives pretzels their deep color and classic flavor.
Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds on each side. Work in batches so the pot does not get crowded.
Use a slotted spoon or spatula to lift each pretzel from the water. Let the extra water drip off, then place the pretzels on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden brown and cooked through.
Finish with sea salt or cinnamon sugar
When the pretzels come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter while they are still warm.
For classic salted pretzels, sprinkle the tops with sea salt right after brushing with butter. The salt sticks best while the butter is fresh.
For cinnamon sugar pretzels, stir together:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Brush the warm pretzels with melted butter, then sprinkle or dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. The brown sugar adds a deeper, cozy sweetness, while the white sugar gives the topping a little sparkle and crunch.
Tips for soft, chewy pretzels
Fresh pretzels are best the day they are baked, especially while warm. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. Warm them in the oven before serving to bring back the soft texture.
A few small details make a big difference:
Do not skip the baking soda bath. It creates the chewy crust.
Use parchment paper. It keeps the pretzels from sticking after boiling.
Brush with butter after baking. This gives the toppings something to cling to.
Finish sweet pretzels right away. Cinnamon sugar sticks best when the pretzels are hot and buttery.
This easy soft pretzel recipe with cinnamon sugar and sea salt is great for weekend baking, game day snacks, movie nights, or anytime you want something warm from the oven. Make half the batch salty and half sweet, and everyone gets their favorite.
