Description
Soft Pretzel Twists made with a classic dough and transformed with five delicious topping variations: Garlic Parmesan, Cinnamon Sugar, Everything, Sea Salt & Rosemary, and Pepperoni Pizza. These pretzels are boiled briefly in a baking soda bath for the perfect chewy texture, then baked until golden brown and topped to suit every craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Pretzel Dough:
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 4½ cups flour
- ¼ cup (1/2 a stick) butter, melted
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Garlic Parmesan Topping:
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon mixed with 4 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
Everything Topping:
- 4 tsp poppy seeds
- 4 tsp sesame seeds
- 4 tsp dried garlic
- 4 tsp dried onion
- 1 tsp sea salt
Sea Salt & Rosemary Topping:
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary
- 3 Tbsp sea salt
Pepperoni Pizza Topping:
- Mini pepperoni, sliced thin
- Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine warm water, sugar, sea salt, and instant yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy, indicating the yeast is activated. Add the flour and melted butter, mixing on low speed for about 5 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with aluminum foil, and place in an oven turned off but warm to rise. Let rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Shape the Pretzel Twists: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope, fold in half, twist end over end, then shape into a circle, pinching the ends shut to seal.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baths: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 8 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda to a rolling boil in a large pot—this alkaline bath will give the pretzels their characteristic chewy crust.
- Boil Pretzels: Using a flat spatula, carefully drop pretzel twists into the boiling baking soda water for 45 seconds each. Boil in batches as needed. Remove with the spatula and place on prepared baking sheets. Brush lightly with the beaten egg to help toppings adhere and achieve a golden crust.
- Add Toppings and Bake: Choose one of the five topping options:
- Garlic Parmesan: Spread crushed garlic over pretzels, sprinkle with Parmesan, bake 12-14 minutes until golden and puffed. Remove, brush with melted butter, sprinkle more Parmesan, serve warm.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Bake pretzels 12-14 minutes until golden. Remove, brush with melted butter, generously sprinkle cinnamon sugar mix, serve warm.
- Everything: Mix poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and sea salt, sprinkle over pretzels. Bake 12-14 minutes until browned, serve warm.
- Sea Salt & Rosemary: Sprinkle fresh rosemary and sea salt over pretzels. Bake 12-14 minutes until golden and puffed, serve warm.
- Pepperoni Pizza: Add mini pepperoni and thin mozzarella slices on pretzels ensuring coverage in crevices. Bake 12-14 minutes until golden and cheese melts, serve warm.
Notes
- If freezing, after twisting the pretzels (before boiling), place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a Ziploc bag for storage. When ready to bake, do not thaw; boil and bake as usual, adding 1-2 extra minutes to baking time.
- This recipe yields 10 pretzel twists, perfect for sharing or freezing in batches.
- Boiling the pretzels in a baking soda solution is essential for the signature chewy crust and golden color.
- Toppings can be mixed or customized as desired for flavor variations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pretzel twist
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
