Soft Pretzels Recipe
These soft pretzels are a great, take-along snack to have on hand!
Once upon a time, there was a little mouse, who lived in a little house by the edge of the sea.
He loved bread with all his heart, and his morning would not start,
until with a baguette from the house he could part.But this small little mouse with the large baguette, was often vexed and beset. For when he ran low and needed more, he’d often have trouble squeezing baguettes through his door.
Until one day to his delight, he discovered a pretzel. Such a beautiful sight! With the greatest of ease, it slipped through the door, and now our little mouse, is vexed no more. He nibbles his pretzel and sips his tea, that tiny little mouse, in the house by the sea.
– By Tiffany McCauley and Mini Chef
Mini Chef was begging me for some pretzels. I don’t keep them in the house because I can never find any store-bought pretzels that are clean. So instead, I did a quick google search for whole wheat pretzels and found a wonderful recipe that needed very little tweaking to make it clean.
Now, whenever Mini Chef and I bake together, I always make sure that I give him his own piece of dough to knead and play with. Because inevitably, it will end up on the floor and I don’t want that to be the fate of the entire batch of dough. So he always gets his own.
While he was kneading his dough, he was telling me a wild and crazy story concerning spaceships, hammers and his commission. I’m still not sure what that story was about, but somehow, he ended his story with a mouse in a house. The whole thing spiraled out from there, and the result is the little story you just read above.
As for this recipe, it’s is a keeper for sure! The pretzels turned out very soft and tender and the flavor is warm and inviting like most whole grain products are when they are fresh out of the oven. The kitchen smelled like an old fashion bakery!
These are actually more like a soft dinner roll. I love them! The possibilities with this recipe are endless really.
And if the idea of making bread scares you, don’t let it. This is very simple to make. And just for the record, these are also definitely Mini Chef approved!
More Healthy Bread Recipes
Soft Pretzels Recipe
Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 packet rapid rise yeast
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1 ½ cups warm water (between 105-115 degrees F.)
- 4 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. oil (any light flavored oil will work)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. water
- seeds (any of your choosing for topping the pretzels – I used chia)
Instructions
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the warm water and honey in a medium bowl and stir until honey is dissolved.
- Pour in the yeast, stir very briefly just to incorporate, and set aside so it can foam.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add the oil and the foamy yeast to the flour bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes to thick to continue.
- Knead by hand for about 10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, but after kneading for about 3-4 minutes, it should become a nice, smooth dough. It will still be sticky, but should not leave any dough behind on your hands. (You may need to stop and wash your hands first and then continue kneading to be sure.) If the dough continues to stick to your hands, add 1 tbsp. of flour more to the dough. Knead well. Repeat if necessary.
- Now you can shape your dough as shown. The cord of dough in picture 1 is approximately 1/2 inch thick and approximately 14 inches long.
- Once you have all of your pretzels formed and on the cookie sheets, cover the sheets with a towel and let them sit for 1 hour. When you come back, they should be nice a “fluffy” (doubled in size).
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Now you can brush on the egg wash, sprinkle them with seeds and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool and serve.
This looks GREAT! I am a relatively new reader and I’m so happy to have found you! Question: currently in my pantry I have white whole wheat, unbleached white, and unbleached white bread flour. Which of these three would be the best substitute for the pastry flour in a pinch?
Jessica – That depends on how clean you want to eat. The white whole wheat is a whole grain flour and is clean and a great substitution. The other two are not clean, though they will also work.
I think I love you! Clean pretzels?? Where have you been all my life?
I wonder if this can be started in a bread machine on the dough cycle…
Bette – I wouldn’t. To be honest, it’s just not worth the cleaning of the machine when you are done. It’s too simple to do on your own. But that’s just my opinion. You could certainly try it as long as it just mixes and rises.
I bought some yeist in bulk. Do you know the measurement is in the packets? Looks so fun and yummy! Can’t wait to do this with the kiddos! Thank you!
Homegrowing – I’m not sure what the exact amount is, but use 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. and you should be fine.
The packet measure 2 1/4 teaspoons.
Bette – Thank you!
2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1/4 oz) equals one packet of yeast (or one cake of fresh yeast).
Johanna – Thanks!
Wow! My daughter is going to be so happy when I make these tonight! Thank you!
Taryn – You’re welcome! Let me know now she likes them!
Is pastry flour the same thing as all purpose flour?
Stacy – No. Whole wheat pastry flour is a “finer grind” of whole wheat flour. It also has slightly less gluten in it. All purpose flour is white flour and is not clean.
hmmmmmmmm I wonder if I could make these with almond or coconut flour to be grain free for me??? I’m going to give it a try.
Paulissa – Let me know how they turn out!!
Paulissa – Let me know how they turn out!!
I was just thinking the same thing! I try not to eat gluten, so I’d like to tweak this a little more.
Jenni – Great! Let me know how they turn out and what you did to tweak them!
hmmmmmmmm I wonder if I could make these with almond or coconut flour to be grain free for me??? I’m going to give it a try.
Thank you for sharing your recipe with all of us. As soon as I saw your email about a clean eating soft pretzel, I was so eager to try it out… went to the grocery store to buy ingredients. My 7 year old daughter had a blast rolling out the dough. We loved smelling the pretzels baking in our oven… and it was so tasty! We sprinkled course sea salt over it and it was delish! Maybe I could sprinkle garlic powder over it to give it a different taste, or maybe some cinnamon… yum… it did resemble wheat rolls when cooled, but if you zap it in the microwave when it’s hard they become soft and yummy again. I would love to dip the warm pretzels in some warmed almond or natural pb… Thank you.
Dawahine – That’s fabulous!!! I’m so happy you guys had so much fun making them! And thanks for the tip on microwaving them. Good to know!
Looks delish and easy! Can’t wait to make it!
Kymom- It is easy!! Enjoy!
My sister and I love using homemade soft pretzels to make sandwiches – they are such a fun change from whole wheat bread! Especially if the sandwich includes provolone cheese and chicken and avocado…. yum 🙂
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Equilibrium – Oh yum!! Ya, that would definitely be a nice change!
oh gee, you don’t realize how much I want that pretzel right now.
Cakbrain – They are easy to make!! 😉
Amy – It’s 4 & 1/2 cups. Enjoy!
I have 3 kids that LOVE pretzels…and I always cringe when they ask for one at our favorite chain store with the red and white circle logo ;). So I’m wondering if these get hard after they cool???…or will they stay soft for a bit?? Would love to be able to make them and bring them with us!! Thank you!!
Anita – These stay soft in a plastic bag. They are more like a dinner roll texture than a typical bagel.
Great!!….thank you!!
You’re welcome!
You’re welcome!
Great!!….thank you!!
EliseMM – Vital wheat gluten is fine, but you really don’t need the extra gluten in this recipe.
Do you think you could freeze these and if so at what point in the process would you?
Resox – I would freeze them after baking. Enjoy!
1DanaAlexa – I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of doing that. Might be worth a try!
Kelly – This should help: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-flour/
I only have a jar of yeast, no packets. Do you know how many teaspoons are in a packet of yeast?
About 2.5 teaspoons (1 scant tablespoon) in a 0.25 ounce packet