Homemade Pretzels Recipe

Making homemade pretzels at home is really easy and it’s a fun activity to do with kids. There are so many options when making them at home, and you will make some great memories.

Homemade Pretzels

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Ingredients

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water ((110 degrees F/45 degrees C))
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt (for topping)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (for topping)

Directions

Prepare the Yeast
Step 1
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Mix them
Step 2
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the butter and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Roll them
Step 3
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush on melted butter.
For Hotdog wrapped pretzels
Step 4
If desired, instead of making into ropes, you can wrap around hot dogs.
For Salty Pretzels (Optional)
Step 5
Sprinkle with kosher salt if making a salty pretzel.
Bake them
Step 6
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.
For Cinnamon Sugar (Optional)
Step 7
If you want to have a cinnamon pretzel, brush the hot cooked pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

These pictures are from a long long time ago when I had my sister in law and nephew at our house visiting. We decided to make a batch of pretzels and the fun ensued. I prepared the dough in advance and then let everyone make their own.