Our Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe is almost too easy to make because we have a brilliant shortcut–we use premade pizza dough! Made with only 4 simple ingredients (plus water), this recipe creates a better-than-any-ballpark or mall-bought treat that’s just as soft and chewy, deliciously tender, and beautifully golden brown, with the same iconic pretzel flavor you expect from your favorite pretzel peddler.
Homemade Soft Pretzels using pizza dough
When it comes to salty snacks, there is nothing more satisfying than a homemade soft pretzel. We have made it so easy to recreate this traditional treat because our recipe doesn’t require making the dough from scratch; it’s made without a mixer! And because the premade dough has an elastic texture, it is super simple to roll out and shape into your own version of the perfect pretzel.
These soft pretzels are soft and chewy on the inside and beautifully brown on the outside. We bathe them in a quick baking soda boil to give them their traditional flavor that will have you savoring every salty bite.
Why we love this Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe
- Easy and fun to make without requiring a mixer.
- Only uses 4 ingredients (plus water).
- Pretzels are soft, chewy, and so versatile.
- Convenient shortcut that makes it quick and easy to shape.
- Homemade for a fraction of the price of a mall or ballpark pretzel.
- Perfect party food or snack that tastes deliciously like the classic recipe.
Pizza Dough Pretzels Ingredients
- Premade pizza dough: I recommend using either thin or regular crust pizza dough. The cans may be different sizes lengthwise. Just make sure you are cutting them into 4 even sections and either type of pizza dough will work. If you have a homemade pizza dough recipe you love, feel free to use it instead of a store-bought can.
- Water
- Baking soda
- Egg white
- Coarse sea salt: You can buy salt that is made specifically for pretzels, but coarse sea salt will work as well.
Pizza Dough Pretzels substitutions and additions
- Make it Sweet: Instead of sprinkling coarse sea salt on top and brushing with egg white, you can brush the pretzels with butter and sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar before baking.
- Toppings: Sprinkle some everything bagel seasoning, Parmesan cheese, ranch seasoning, cajun seasoning, or any of your other favorite seasonings on top.
- Make Them Bite-Sized: You can easily make these into pretzel bites, especially if the twisting and careful maneuvering gives you anxiety! Pretzel bites are difficult to get wrong–simply slice the rope into 3 inch sections, boil them in small batches instead of individually, and follow the rest of the recipe.
- Dip them: Try one of our homemade dips to dunk them in to! Some of our favorites are:
Recommended tools for making Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Mesh Strainer
- Large pot
- Small mixing bowl and spoon
- Pastry brush
- Sheet pan
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring tools
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How to make Soft Pretzels from Pizza Dough
It is so easy to make these homemade soft pretzels that are chewy yet fluffy, deliciously tender, and beautifully golden brown. Only 4 ingredients are needed to bake the iconic pretzel flavor in every salty bite.
- Cut pizza dough into 4 even sections without unrolling it.
- Roll each section into a 24-inch long rope. Shape each rope of dough into a pretzel shape.
Pro Tip: If dough is sticky, use a little flour.
- Individually lower each pretzel into baking soda boil for 30 seconds.
Pro Tip: I recommend using a strainer to lower your pretzels into the water so they don’t fall apart. - Dry each pretzel with a paper towel and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Brush egg wash over the tops and sides of each pretzel.
- Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 400 degrees from 14-17 minutes and until golden brown, plate, and serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Tips for this Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe
- Room temperature pizza dough is much easier to roll out and shape than chilled pizza dough.
- Feel free to make them bite-sized if you have difficulty twisting them into a traditional pretzel shape or prefer pretzel bites.
Dips for Soft Pizza Dough Pretzels
Soft pretzels are a delicious snack that can be served with so many different dips and condiments such as mustard, ketchup, hot cheese dip, marinara sauce, or artichoke dip. Choose your favorite and get dipping!
How to store Pizza Dough Pretzels
- To Store: Wrap your pretzels individually and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. You can also freeze them for one month.
- To Freeze: Individually wrap raw or baked pretzels and place them in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Once frozen thaw them completely before serving.
How to reheat Soft Pretzels
To reheat soft pretzels and serve them warm you can place them in a hot oven for a few minutes or microwave on a place for a 10-15 seconds.
Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe FAQs
Baking soda is the key ingredient that gives these pretzels their texture and flavor. When heated, baking soda reacts with the dough, darkening the color, creating a chewy texture, and giving it its traditional flavor.
Yes, boiling your pretzels in the baking soda bath is a crucial step for making the best soft pretzel recipe. Don’t skip it, you only need to boil them for 30 seconds!
Yes, you can prepare the pretzel dough and store it in the fridge up to 1 day in advance or freeze it for up to 3 months. You can also prepare the baked pretzels in advance and they’ll keep well for up to 2 days in a sealed container.
Although pizza dough and pretzel dough are not identical, they are made from the same basic ingredients. When boiled in a baking soda bath before baking, pizza dough very closely mimics the flavor and texture of traditional pretzel dough.
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Easy Homemade Soft Pretzel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 13.8 ounce can premade pizza dough
- 6 cups water
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 1 large egg white
- 1½ tbsp water
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Open the can of pizza dough and cut the dough into 4 even sections. There is no need to unroll the pizza dough.
- Using your hands, roll each dough section into an approximately 24-inch long rope. Use a little flour if needed for stickiness.
- Make a “U” shape with one rope of dough. Twist the ends around each other once, leaving room at the ends. Pull the ends back down to the bottom of the circle to create a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining dough sections.
- Bring the 6 cups of water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
- Lower each pretzel, individually, into the boiling water, using a mesh strainer, for 30 seconds and then carefully pull it back out. (These can fall apart easily so keeping it in the strainer will be the safest bet). Do not over cook dough.
- Gently pat dry with a paper towel. Do this for all the pretzels and then place them back on the sheet pan.
- Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg white and 1 ½ Tablespoons of water. Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of the pretzels and then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake in the oven for 14-17 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Plate and serve either warm or cold.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Wrap your pretzels individually and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. You can also freeze them for one month.
- To Freeze: Individually wrap raw or baked pretzels and place them in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: To reheat soft pretzels and serve them warm you can place them in a hot oven for a few minutes or microwave on a place for a 10-15 seconds.
- Room temperature pizza dough is much easier to roll out and shape than chilled pizza dough.
- Feel free to make them bite-sized if you have difficulty twisting them into a traditional pretzel shape.
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