Description
Soft Pretzel Twists made with a classic dough and baked to golden perfection, offered with five delicious topping variations including Garlic Parmesan, Cinnamon Sugar, Everything, Sea Salt & Rosemary, and Pepperoni Pizza. These warm, chewy pretzels are perfect for snacks or gatherings, easy to make at home with a simple boiling and baking technique.
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, salt, and instant yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy to activate the yeast. Add flour and melted butter and mix on low speed for about 5 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with aluminum foil, then place in the turned-off oven to rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Shape Pretzels: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope. Fold each rope in half and twist end over end to create the characteristic pretzel twist shape. Form into a circle and pinch the ends together to seal.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Boil the Pretzels: Bring 8 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Using a flat spatula, gently drop each pretzel twist into the boiling water and boil for 45 seconds. Boil one or a few at a time, depending on pot size. Remove from water carefully and place on prepared baking sheets. Brush each pretzel lightly with the beaten egg to help browning and topping adhesion.
- Apply Toppings and Bake: Select your desired topping style:
– Garlic Parmesan: Spread crushed garlic over pretzels, sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden and puffed. Remove, brush with melted butter, sprinkle more Parmesan, and serve warm.
– Cinnamon Sugar: Bake pretzels as above, then brush with melted butter and generously coat in cinnamon sugar mixture.
– Everything: Mix poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt; sprinkle over pretzels before baking for 12-14 minutes.
– Sea Salt & Rosemary: Sprinkle fresh rosemary and sea salt before baking for 12-14 minutes.
– Pepperoni Pizza: Arrange thin slices of mini pepperoni and mozzarella cheese on pretzels before baking for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- If freezing, after twisting the pretzels (step 2), place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziplock bag. When ready to bake, do not thaw; proceed directly to boiling and baking steps, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time for best results.
- This recipe yields 10 pretzel twists, perfect for sharing or snacking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pretzel twist
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
