Bavarian Pretzels from Scratch

If you love those delicious soft pretzels, hot from the oven, you’re going to adore this simple recipe! These pretzels are perfect–sweet or savory!

Can I Make Soft German Pretzels at Home?

The answer, my friends, is a hearty yes!

I made a batch of these soft pretzels and took them to my grandchildren, who loved them!

I’ve always been a fan of soft pretzels and now that I know I can make them from scratch, all the better!

The History of the Bavarian Pretzel

According to pretzels.com (yes, there really is a site with that name), pretzels got their start in the Middle Ages (in 610 A.D.)

An Italian monk teaching children in Northern Italy is said to have invented soft little pretzels and called them pretiola or little rewards, to reward children for learning their prayers. He is said to have made the treats with little arms forming the ‘knot’, to resemble little arms crossed of children in prayer. 

That’s a lovely image, isn’t it! (And that’s a story I’d never heard before.) Some say that the pretzel shape represents the holy Trinity–the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

What wonderful imagery!

Soft Pretzel Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. These are common, simple ingredients you likely have on hand in your kitchen right now.

• milk (slightly warmed or room temperature)
• instant rise yeast
• all-purpose flour
• salt
• water
• baking soda
• coarse salt, to taste
• cinnamon sugar, to taste

How to Make Bavarian-Style Pretzels

This is such a simple and tasty recipe. I can’t believe I’ve never made these Bavarian pretzels before!

Start by preheating your oven to 375° Fahrenheit.  

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

Place milk in microwave safe bowl and heat until slightly warm to the touch. Add yeast and stir well. Allow to sit for five minutes. 

Place milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and use dough hook to knead for three minutes. (You might need to get it started with a wooden spoon.) 

If you don’t have a stand mixer you can knead by hand for three – four minutes.

Remove dough and divide into 12 (even) pieces. 

Roll into balls. 

Form each piece of dough into a rope. (Roll dough to accomplish this.)

Shape dough rope into a U. Make sure you’re working with equal pieces.

Criss-cross the ends into a traditional shape, pressing down to seal the edges.

Place shaped pretzels on prepared baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise in warm place for 15 minutes. 

While pretzels are rising, put 4 – 5 cups of water into a skillet and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to medium. 

Add 6 tablespoons of baking soda to the water. Water will foam up. Wait until the bubbling/foaming subsides. 

Place 2 – 3 pretzels at a time into the soda solution water for about one minute per side. Don’t allow them to stick together. (This process is called a baking soda bath.)

They should rise to the surface. (Be sure to flip so both sides get wet.) 

Lift wet pretzels with a slotted spoon or spatula.

Place on parchment lined large baking sheets.

Now it’s time to sprinkle with coarse salt (pretzel salt). I left half of mine unsalted because I wanted to add cinnamon-sugar to those. 

Place in preheated 375 degree oven and bake until they’re golden brown. 

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

You can brush with melted butter and add sugar and cinnamon sugar to the bare ones at this point.

Serve while warm and your guests will swoon!

For the leftover pretzels (if there are any) store in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. Be sure to separate the salty ones from the sweet.

They will stay fresh 2 – 3 days.

What to Expect from this Authentic Bavarian Soft Pretzels Recipe

These pretzels are every bit as good as those big pretzels you buy in the mall or at ball games or the mall. Better, even! Talk about the perfect texture and flavor! (You’ll feel like you’ve been to a German bakery.)

The texture on the outside of these pretzels is crisp and firm with a great chewy texture.

They’re a lovely golden color! 

The interior is soft and fluffy. . .absolute perfection. 

And those sweet and salty toppings? Perfection! Nothing tops fresh pretzels. And best of all, they’re really filling!

Variations on this Bavarian Style Pretzel Recipe

There are so many different ways to serve this versatile pretzel!

As I mentioned above, I coated several of my pretzels with a cinnamon sugar mixture. (I brushed the pretzels with spray butter first, then dipped them in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 – 2 tablespoons cinnamon.) 

Melted chocolate: Next time I might melt some white chocolate (or almond bark) and dip the top side of the pretzels in it, then add some sprinkles. Talk about colorful and fun! 

Nacho cheese. Serve the salted pretzels with queso or nacho cheese. (Let guest dip pretzels into cheese mixture on their own.)

Garlic Ranch: Before baking, sprinkled with garlic salt and dry ranch dip (powder). 

Garlic Parmesan: Sprinkle with garlic salt before baking and add Parmesan cheese during the final couple minutes of baking. 

Apple Streusel: Scoop apple pie filling onto the nearly-baked pretzels (about 3 minutes before they’re fully baked) and continue baking. 

Sea salt caramel: Dip the salty pretzels into melted caramel. Yum! 

Dough conditioner: If you like, you can add powdered milk to serve as a dough conditioner. A couple tablespoons should suffice.

Questions People are Asking about Bavarian Pretzels

What is the purpose of the baking soda? 

Dipping in alkaline solution before baking (the baking soda solution) gives the pretzel its distinctive flavor but it also does two other things: causes the unbaked pretzel to rise and ultimately gives the pretzel that golden brown exterior we all love. 

Is baking soda safe to use? 

It can be hard on aluminum pans. Also, you have to take extra caution when it bubbles up, so you don’t get burned. 

Can I substitute beer for some of the milk? 

You can. Some recipes call for lager beer or pilsner beer. I’ve never been a beer bread person myself, but some people love it. 

Can I bake these on a baking stone? 

Absolutely! Baking stones are perfect for this recipe. 

Why do some recipes call for Barley Malt? 

Barley Malt gives a Bavarian pretzel a distinctive flavor that some enjoy. If you don’t have barley malt (or barley syrup) you can substitute molasses. Add 1.5 tablespoons to the dough. 

Can I make jumbo pretzels? 

Absolutely! You’ll get six from the batch instead of twelve but you can definitely make them larger. Just make sure you boil one at a time with the larger ones and use caution in flipping them in the boiling water to make sure they don’t break or separate. 

Can I re-warm these traditional bavarian pretzels in the toaster oven?

That’s an excellent a choice! The microwave will cause them to harden from the inside out, so a toaster oven would work beautifully.

Other Breads from Out of the Box Baking

Here at Out of the Box Baking we’ve got you covered on the bread front. Here are some fan favorites:

Challah Bread: This was my first-ever bread project and it turned out great! It’s got a delicious exterior and a perfect crumb! 

Easy Multigrain Seed and Nut Bread: If you love nutty seed breads, have I got a treat for you! This simple bread recipe is loaded with the seeds and nuts of your choice. It’s packed full of nutrients and super easy to make! 

Tangzhong Milk Bread: My all time favorite. I also use this recipe for yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls! 

Before you leave, go ahead and pin some photos!