Homemade Soft Pretzels, German-style, some easy and so delicious bites that are fail-proof. They make a great snack, either with kids or grown-ups. No need to wait for a Christmas fair to enjoy some heavenly warm pretzels, these homemade pretzels can be enjoyed all year round from the comfort of your own home.
Looking for some bites to munch on? I've got you covered. My homemade pretzels are absolutely fantastic. Planning a picnic when the weather is nice? Need something to eat in between meals? Or maybe just a snack to get you going on those way too long office hours?
If the answer to all these questions is a big fat yes, then you must try my recipe. It only requires about 1 and a half hours of your time and they are cheaper and healthier than those bags of biscuits and crisps that keep winking at you.
If you have kids who can't wait to get their little hands dirty, do get them to help you make them, they will love getting their reward at the end of their hard work.
The pretzels are soft, deliciously golden, and ready easy to put together. All you need are a few simple ingredients that you already have around: flour, yeast, milk, egg, seasoning and water. You can top them with any seeds you like, or just salt, and they are just amazing!
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Ingredients needed
- strong bread flour - white
- active dried yeast
- salt
- caster sugar
- vegetable oil - or olive oil if you like
- milk - I prefer full-fat milk for my baking
- water
- egg - for brushing the pretzels, it does not go into the dough
- caraway seeds - to garnish
Step-by-step photos and instructions
If you want the pretzels to be crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, getting the dough right is crucial.
- FIRSTLY, make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Then mix a bit of sugar and dried fast-action yeast, give a good stir, then let the mixture rest for 10 minutes or so.
You will notice that the yeast mixture raises and becomes frothy. That's when you know that yeast has worked and it will do its job nicely. If the yeast is not foamy, you will have to start again using another sachet of yeast.
- Then, mix it with the other ingredients, and knead the dough well for at least 5 minutes - add more flour if necessary to get a dough that does not stick to the hands
- Shape it into a ball, transfer it to a bowl, cover with clingfilm and a clean tea towel, and let it prove in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has risen, transfer it to the work surface, divide it into 8 small balls, then roll each ball into a thin long rope. Cross the rope, then make a U shape.
Grease and flour a baking tray, then transfer the pretzels onto it, brush with egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, anything you like, and bake for 20 minutes.
And that's your job done! Just look how soft and perfectly baked they are!!! They spring back if you touch them, and that's when you know you absolutely nailed the recipe.
Variations
Now, you can make them as flavourful as you like, if you'd rather not have them plain. If you go for the savoury version, feel free to add any seeds of your choice: caraway seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds are just a few examples.
For a sweet version, increase the amount of sugar to half a cup, then add some lemon extract and zest, or vanilla extract, cinnamon, or coat them in honey and chopped walnuts, the possibilities are endless here.
You have the basic recipe, tweak it the way you like, you can create so many variations of it. Do give them a go, they really are delicious!
Other savoury snacks
Pretzels can make an excellent snack at Christmas time, given their popularity at Christmas fairs. Other delicious bites are my Cheese Twists which are way better than the shop-bought versions.
My savoury oat biscuits are another great recipe for the festive season, and it can make a great addition to your cheese board.
My star-shaped cheese crackers are another recipe that I can recommend at Christmas time, and they are perfect for all ages and tastes.
If you’ve liked my SOFT HOMEMADE PRETZELS or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 400 g strong bread flour
- 2 teaspoon active dried yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 50 ml vegetable oil
- 100 ml milk
- 150 ml water
- 1 egg
- caraway seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Warm up the milk in the microwave just for about 10 seconds, it has to be warm, but not hot to touch.
- Add the sugar and yeast and mix well.
- Leave the mixture to prove for 10 minutes, it will rise and become frothy.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, yeast mixture, water, oil and knead for 5 minutes -add more flour if necessary to have a dough does not stick to the hands.
- Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to double up its size for about one hour.
- Transfer the dough to a slightly oiled work surface and shape 8 balls.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, (350 Fahrenheit).
- Roll each ball into a long thin rope, then shape it into a pretzel.
- Slightly beat the egg and brush each pretzel with it, then sprinkle caraway seeds over.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.
- Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, then serve either warm or cold.
Notes
- To see the measurements in cups and ounces, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
- The amount of ingredients listed can be adjusted depending on the number of servings you need, just click on the number next to SERVINGS.
- MAKE SURE THE YEAST IS ACTIVE, IF THIS DEOS NOT BECOME FROTHY WHEN YOU LEFT IT REST WITH THE MILK, DO NOT USED IT, THE PRETZELS WILL NOT BECOME SOFT.
Silvia
Arata mult mai bine decat cele cumparate. Si sigur, si gustul e mai bun. :). Eu am mancat doar sarate, nu am mancat niciodata cu vanilie.
Daniela Apostol
Multumesc! Sunt tare buni, i-au placut si bebitei mele ?
Chris
Love the vanilla flavor!
Daniela Apostol
Thank you! Vanilla brings such a lovely flavour to any dessert.
Sheryl
This recipe sounds healthy. I was surprised that this recipe used very little sugar, and that the glaze doesn't use any.
Daniela Apostol
Thank you! It indeed has a little bit of sugar, it is more of a savoury kind of pretzels, but the vanilla gives a nice kick.