The Quickest Pretzel Recipe
You know those pretzels at the mall that are hot, soft, and buttery and their scent wafts through the entire mall? As you’re in a dressing room trying to squeeze into some jeans that are a size too small, the luscious scent of the pretzels hits you and your New Year’s resolutions are out the window. Yes, these are those. You can make these buttery pretzels from start to finish in one hour. If you’re using a stand mixer, it’s five effortless minutes as the machine kneads the dough before it rises for a half hour. Then, it’s shaped and baked. It’s dangerous that I can make these pretzels so quickly at home!
Ingredients for These Quick Pretzels
This is an incredible easy soft pretzel recipe. Not only is is finished in an hour, but the ingredients list is also minimal:
Bread flourInstant dry yeastGranulated sugarTable saltWarm waterButter (or vegan butter) Kosher salt, for sprinkling
How to Make Soft Pretzels in 1 Hour
These quick butter pretzels come together in no time! Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the recipe:
Soft Pretzel Topping Ideas
After baking, optional toppings for the quick pretzels include brushing them down with:
Garlic-butterHoney Butter Cinnamon-Sugar ButterApple butterPumpkin butter
Or, try sprinkling the buttery pretzels with the following:
Kosher saltCinnamon-sugarGarlic and onion powderChili and limeVery finely diced nutsSesame and poppy seeds Everything bagel seasoning A fine dusting of cocoa powder.
Between the types of flavored butters you can brush on, the items you can sprinkle on top, and combined with what you can dip them into, there’s a flavor combination for everyone. They can go either sweet or savory because the dough is a blank canvas.
Soft Pretzel Dipping Sauce Options
Serve these quick and easy pretzels with one or more of the following dippings sauces:
Spicy Honey MustardHomemade Peanut Butter, Homemade Cookie Butter Peanut ButterChocolate Coconut Cashew ButterNutellaDark Rum Caramel Sauce Balsamic Reduction and olive oil
Tips for Making Soft Pretzels Quickly
Sugar: Adding 1 teaspoon of sugar is non-negotiable because it feeds the yeast. It doesn’t make the pretzels taste sweet at all. Salt: I used a scant 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the dough. I don’t like salting dough because it can inhibit rising, and also I am mindful with how much salt I use in cooking. You can sprinkle salt on after baking as generously as desired anyway. Rise time: I’ve let my dough rise for as long as 75 to 90 minutes due to distractions, poor planning, and timing issues, and nothing bad happens. Actually, the pretzels turn out fluffier. If you want to allow it to rise for up to about 90 minutes, or doubled in size, go for it. But the recipe does and will work with just a 30-minute rise. Shaping the pretzels: The skinnier you roll your dough ropes prior to shaping the pretzels, the less chubby the finished pretzels will be, but they don’t have to be perfect. Some sections of my ropes are thinner, and some are thicker. It all tastes good. Because this dough hasn’t been rested after the rise, it’s springy and resilient and your ropes may want to recoil and shrink back down. Just keep finessing them back into an elongated state. Or wait 10 minutes before rolling and shaping the ropes if you have time to spare.
More Homemade Pretzel Recipes:
Homemade Soft Pretzels — Whether you want to sprinkle them with coarse salt or cinnamon-sugar, these carby delights will be an automatic family FAVORITE! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels — A marriage of Cinnabon’s and Auntie Anne’s in one easy treat that’s ready in 15 minutes!! Soft pretzels that taste like cinnamon rolls so you don’t have to choose between favorites!! Cinnamon-Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites — Soft, warm pretzel bites coated in chocolate or cinnamon-sugar that you don’t have to go to the mall for. Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Twists – Baked in a muffin pan and made with refrigerated dough to save time, you’re going to LOVE how FAST and EASY these finger-lickin’ sweet pretzel bites are!
