How to Make Real German Soft Pretzels at Home (2024)

Jennifer McGavin

Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.

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Updated on 08/24/21

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
4 1/4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
1 quart water
1 ounce food-grade lye
Coarse salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

Gather the ingredients.
Proof the yeast by dissolving it in 1/4 cup warm water and sugar for 5 minutes.
Measure the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt, the proofed yeast, and 1 cup of warm water. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer with a dough hookattachment until flour mixture comes together into a stiff ball. Add morewarm water as needed to form the dough.
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Knead for 5 minutes and let rest for a few minutes.
Add the butter and knead for at least 5 more minutes or until butter is fully incorporated. At this time, the dough should be firm and velvety to the touch.
Form into a ball, butter all surfaces, and let rise until double, about 1 hour, in a warm spot.

Shape the Pretzels

Place wax paper on a baking sheet.
De-gas (punch down) the dough.
Divide it into 12 (2-ounce) pieces. Form the dough into balls.
Using very little flour, form balls into 1-foot long strands, thicker in the middle and tapering towards the ends.
Take each strand and roll out again to form 2-foot strands.
Twist into a pretzel shape, using a little water to make the ends stick to the loop. Experienced pretzel bakers can flip pretzels into shape in the air, but most people have to coax them.
Place the pretzels on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. This dries out the surface and makes them easier to handle.

Make the Lye Solution

Make sure that you put on gloves and safety glasses.
Place 1 quart of water in a plastic or glass container, weigh 1 ounce of food grade or reagent grade sodium hydroxide into a bowl, and add slowly to the water, stirring with a plastic spoon or similar object. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER, not the other way around! For scientists: The lye solution will be approximately 0.75 M NaOH (FW 39.99g/mol) or almost 3 percent w/w.
Remove pretzels from the refrigerator and dip each for 30 seconds in the lye solution.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a greased or parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle pretzel with salt. Make a deep cut through the thick part of the pretzel horizontally with a razor blade or lame. Let pretzels rest for 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 F. Bake pretzels for 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Use Extreme Caution

Lye is caustic and a 3 percent solution is considered corrosive. Always use gloves andsafety glasses. Wearing long sleeves, pants and close-toed shoes are recommended.

Wipe up spills with paper towels and dispose of immediately. Rinse with water or vinegar. Rinse all utensils and gloves with large amounts of water and wash arms and hands after working with the solution. If you feel anything burning on the skin, rewash with soap and water, rinse and dry.

Dispose of Lye Properly

Followcounty and state hazardous waste regulations to dispose of the lye. This might include diluting the solution with water, neutralizing it with an acid and subsequently dilutingor taking the waste to a disposal facility.

You also can keep the lye solution in a tightly closed, nonmetallic container, clearly labeled, to use again, but startingwith fresh lye is the best option.

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