Small Batch Soft Pretzels

Homemade pretzels are much easier than you might think …

Wahey, a new bread recipe, coming in hot! And I'm pretty damn excited about it.

I'm also pretty damn proud of this recipe as a whole. It's taken me about two months of testing to get it completely perfect. It's been a great excuse to improve my kneading skills, and also to eat lots of bread. Can't complain really. This recipe is based on the kind of pretzels you'd see in Germany, specifically Munich. They have a chewy, glossy exterior, a fluffy interior, and a really specific flavour, all of which comes down to the alkaline water bath the pretzels take right before being baked. They’re honestly just unreal.

Let me just say that I totally understand if the idea of shaping the pretzels might seem a little intimidating at first - it was for me too! But honestly, it's actually quite fun, and much more simple than you might think. I have a quick video tutorial on how to do it further down this post if you’re more of a visual learner. And also, even if they aren't perfectly shaped, I think that's part of the charm of homemade breads. Let's be real here - so long as they taste fantastic, what's the harm in a slightly wonky pretzel?

All right let’s get into it - small batch soft pretzels coming up!

Recipe / serves 4

Ingredients

For the pretzels

225g strong white bread flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

15g butter, softened / room temperature

125ml milk, lukewarm

For the baking soda bath

Boiling water

25g baking soda

Method

Prepping the dough

Place the strong bread flour in a bowl with the salt on one side, and the instant dry yeast on the other. Pour the lukewarm milk and add the softened butter into the bowl, and mix to bring everything together to form a loose, rough dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's a smooth and shiny texture, which should take about 10 minutes. Quick Tip: If you're a little bit lazy when it comes to kneading, like me, knead your dough for about 5 minutes. Then cover the dough with your mixing bowl and leave to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Come back to the dough and continue to knead until the dough is ready - use the windowpane test test to check!

Divide the dough into 4 even pieces. I like to use a baking scale to make sure each piece is of equal weight.

Working the dough

Roughly form each piece into a large sausage shape - it's totally fine if they're a little lumpy.

Using the palm of one hand, start to gently roll one piece back and forth until a thick, even cylinder forms. Do this with each piece before moving on to the next step.

Using both hands, keep rolling from the middle and moving outwards to elongate and stretch the dough of each piece. Make sure to apply the most pressure in the middle of the rope, then becoming more gentle as you continue to roll outwards.

Repeat this rolling motion until the ends of each rope are slightly thinner than the middle, and are about 50-60 cm / 20-24 inches in length. Don't worry about measuring exactly - just eyeball it and make sure you don't over-stretch the dough.

Shaping the pretzels

Take a rope and arrange it into a 'U' shape.

Take one of the two tapered ends, then place one on top of the other.

Twirl it around the other end again.

Pull those two ends back down to the base of the pretzel, and pinch them into the dough firmly. You may find it helpful to dip your fingers in a little water to ensure the dough sticks.

Carefully pick up the pretzel and invert it / turn it upside down onto a baking tray with parchment.

Rearrange the pretzel as needed, then repeat with the remaining ropes.

Once all of the pretzels have been shaped and been placed onto the baking tray, cover the pretzels with clingfilm or place in a plastic proofing bag. Leave to proof for an hour at room temperature.

Once risen, place the baking tray in the freezer for another hour - this will help the pretzels keep their shape for the next step.

Baking the pretzels

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil over a high het, then add the baking soda - it should fizz.

Working one at a time, add the pretzel to the baking soda bath and allowto sit for no more than 15 seconds. Remove carefully then add to the baking tray again.

Make a deep splash in the thickest parts of the dough - 1-3 slashes is more than enough. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while its surface is still wet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or unitil the pretzels are a deep golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before devouring. Enjoy!

Notes

A blank canvas

This specific recipe is basically like a blank canvas for any combination of flavours you can think of. Whether you're into plain old flaky sea salt, sweet or savoury toppings, or maybe a mix of the two, this is a great base recipe to work from.

Storage

These pretzels are best baked on the same day the dough is made. After they're baked, they'll keep for three days in an airtight container, and are best toasted before serving.

They will also keep well in the freezer for three months in a ziplock bag.