Best High Altitude Homemade Soft Pretzels

Big, chewy soft pretzels dipped in mustard or cheese sauce are such a treat. I used to think of pretzels as something you snack on during shopping trips to the mall, but it’s actually so easy to make homemade soft pretzels. This high altitude recipe makes eight big pretzels, and you can keep them plain with just salt, or add a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and sliced jalapenos. Or for a dessert pretzel, coat them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I like mine savory, though, and for dipping the pretzels, I made a delicious sweet and spicy honey mustard sauce. The pretzels are pillowy and soft, with that gorgeous golden brown color, and so incredibly good served warm from the oven with the mustard.

You might also love these homemade yeast doughnuts with maple icing, soft and fluffy milk buns, and cardamom almond star bread.

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Why You’ll Love These Pretzels

Easy to Make. The pretzel dough is super easy to make, and start to finish, this recipe takes under 2 hours. That’s not long at all until you can enjoy hot, freshly baked pretzels.

Big, Soft and Chewy. The pretzels have such a great texture, with a chewy golden brown crust and soft bread inside. They make a delicious and filling snack.

Adaptable. You can flavor your soft pretzels any way you like! Keep them plain and classic with salt and butter, a little spicy with cheddar and jalapeno, or make a sweet cinnamon sugar version.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

Tools You’ll Need

• Stand Mixer with Dough Hook. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand, but it’s much easier with a mixer.
• Large Stock Pot. You’ll need a large stock pot for boiling the pretzels in an alkaline bath of water and baking soda. The baking soda will foam and bubble up quite a bit, so make sure the pot is at least twice as deep as the water.
• Kitchen Spider/Strainer. A spider is a long-handled strainer commonly used when deep-frying. You’ll need one of these to lower the pretzels into the water bath and scoop them back out.
• Baking Sheets with Parchment Paper. You’ll need two large baking sheets so the pretzels have plenty of room to puff up while baking. Line them with parchment paper to ensure the pretzels don’t stick.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Pretzels

• Hot Water. The water adds moisture to the pretzel dough. Make sure the temperature is between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. If the water is too cold, the yeast will not activate. Too hot, and it will kill the yeast.
• Granulated Sugar. Helps to activate the yeast.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Flavor.
• Instant Yeast. The yeast makes the dough rise so the pretzels are soft and fluffy inside, with a chewy crust outside. See the FAQ section below, for using active dry yeast instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast.
• Bread Flour. With a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour, bread flour gives the pretzels a chewier texture.
• Unsalted Butter. Adds moisture and flavor.
• Water + Baking Soda. For boiling the pretzels in an alkaline water bath before baking.
• Egg. Before baking, you’ll need to brush the pretzels with an egg wash. This helps them brown, but also gives the salt and toppings something to stick to.
• Toppings. I sprinkled half of mine with salt and half with cheddar cheese and sliced jalapenos.

Mustard

• My recipe for mustard sauce is a simple mixture of mustard, creamy horseradish sauce and honey. It’s creamy, a little sweet and a little spicy. You can use any type of mustard that you like, such as Dijon or whole grain.
• Another popular option for dipping pretzels is a beer cheese sauce (which I don’t have a recipe for).

Step By Step Instructions (With Photos)

Knead the dough and let it rise.

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water (1 1/2 cups), sugar, salt, yeast, bread flour and melted butter. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine, then knead on medium/low speed for 5 minutes. The dough will be thick and balled up on the dough hook.
• Lightly spray a large bowl with non-stick spray, and scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (Image 1). Inside your oven with the bread-proofing setting or just the heat from the interior light is ideal. It should take about 45-60 minutes to rise.

Shape the pretzels.

• Preheat the oven to 450 F, and position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large stock pot, combine the 10 cups of water with the baking soda and bring to a boil.
• Dump the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper, and dust the dough very lightly with flour, just so it isn’t too sticky (Image 2). Cut the dough into 8 equal portions (Image 3). Now roll and stretch each portion into a rope that’s about 18-20 inches long. The ropes do not need to look perfect, but they should generally be about the same thickness (Image 4). Shape each rope of dough into a pretzel shape (Image 5).

Boil in an alkaline water bath.

• Working with one pretzel at a time, use your kitchen spider/strainer to lower the pretzels into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, then lift out and set back on the parchment paper (Image 6). Repeat boiling each pretzel for 30 seconds. The dough will be slightly plumpier after boiling, although wrinkly with a sort of gelatinous texture to the dough.

Brush with egg wash, add toppings and bake.

• Arrange your pretzels on the baking sheets, 4 on each so they have room to spread a little. Use a pastry brush to brush the pretzels with the beaten egg.
• Now sprinkle your pretzels with toppings (Image 6 and 7). You can keep them simple with just coarse pretzel salt (I used large crystals of Himalayan pink salt), or add grated cheddar cheese and sliced jalapenos.
• Bake the pretzels (you can put both baking sheets in at the same time on separate racks) for about 15-20 minutes, until the color is a deep golden brown.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do pretzels need to be boiled in a baking soda solution?

Pretzels need to be dipped in an alkaline water bath before baking. This alkaline bath gives pretzels their unique signature pretzel flavor, deep brown color, and chewy crust. Traditionally, pretzel makers use food-grade lye for the alkaline bath, but it’s a hazardous chemical that requires special precautions for handling. Baking soda is a great substitute for home bakers.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?

You sure can! I love using instant yeast (also called rapid-rise yeast), since it doesn’t require any proofing. If you use active dry yeast instead, you’ll need to first activate it before you mix up the dough. All you’ll need to do is pour the hot water and sugar into your mixing bowl, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy, then add the remaining ingredients and mix up the dough as instructed.

If I don’t have bread flour, can I use all-purpose flour?

Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein than all-purpose flour. This makes it ideal for bread recipes made with yeast, such as cinnamon rolls, since it contributes to their chewy texture. You can use all-purpose flour instead, but the pretzels won’t be quite as chewy.

What are some toppings I can put on my pretzels?

• Salt + Butter. A soft pretzel sprinkled with large crystals of pretzel salt is classic. After baking, brush the pretzel with melted butter to make it even more delicious.
• Cheddar Cheese + Jalapeno. The combination of melted, toasty cheddar cheese and slices of spicy jalapenos is just fantastic on a pretzel.
• Onion + Garlic. Sprinkle a little onion powder and garlic powder on your pretzels before baking for a yummy savory twist.
• Everything Bagel Seasoning. This seasoning has poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion, garlic and salt, and is as good on a pretzel as it is on a bagel.
• Cinnamon + Sugar. For a dessert pretzel, coat it in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Will this recipe work for making pretzel rolls?

Absolutely. Follow all the instructions, but instead of shaping the portions of dough into ropes, shape them into balls. After boiling them in the water bath, brush the rolls with the egg wash, then slash the tops of the rolls with a small “x” before baking. Pretzel rolls are fantastic with burgers.

How long do homemade pretzels stay fresh?

Like most homemade bread made with yeast, these pretzels are at their freshest and softest in the first 24 hours, and they’re best eaten warm from the oven. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but they won’t be as soft as on the first day. If you like, you can reheat them for a few minutes in a 300-degree oven, although they’ll get a bit crispier.

Where did you get the mini dish for the mustard?

This dish is from my STAUB Mini Cocotte Set.

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