Soft pretzel recipe with a baking-soda bath
This soft pretzel recipe makes eight large twists. The method follows King Arthur Baking: bread flour gives the dough its chew, while a cooled baking-soda solution treats the surface before baking. Allow about 70 minutes overall.
Use food-grade baking soda, not caustic soda. This formula uses a warm dip rather than a boiling pot; do not substitute a lye method.
Ingredients
Step 1
Mix flour, table salt, sugar and yeast with enough dough water for a soft mass. Knead 5–8 minutes until elastic. Cover in a lightly greased bowl for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling bath water. Leave until lukewarm or cooler; use a shallow 9-inch square dish for dipping.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 475 °F. Grease a baking sheet. Divide dough into eight pieces and rest 5 minutes. Roll each into a 28–30-inch rope, cross the ends twice and fold them onto the loop.
Step 4
Bathe four pretzels at a time for 2 minutes, spooning solution over exposed surfaces. Lift onto the sheet, add optional coarse salt and rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Bake 8–9 minutes until browned. Brush the hot pretzels with all the melted butter and serve warm.
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