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auntie anne's pretzel recipe

🥨 Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Recipe Card

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 pretzels
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Dough:
  • 1 ½ cups warm water 110°F
  • 1 packet 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
For the Baking Soda Bath:
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 tbsp baking soda
For Topping:
  • 3 tbsp melted butter for brushing
  • Coarse pretzel salt or kosher salt

Method
 

Activate Yeast:
  1. In a large bowl, stir yeast into warm water with brown sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Make Dough:
  1. Stir in salt, melted butter, and flour (1 cup at a time) until dough forms. Knead on a floured surface 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First Rise:
  1. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
Shape Pretzels:
  1. Punch down dough, divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope (about 20–22 inches) and form classic pretzel shapes.
Baking Soda Bath:
  1. Mix warm water and baking soda in a bowl. Dip each pretzel in the bath, then place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake:
  1. Sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 12–14 minutes, until golden brown.
Finish:
  1. Brush hot pretzels generously with melted butter. Serve warm!

Notes

For sweeter pretzels, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar right after brushing with butter.
For cheesy pretzels, sprinkle shredded cheddar before baking.
If you want the iconic chewy texture, don’t skip the baking soda bath — it’s what gives pretzels their signature bite.
Pretzels taste best fresh but can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes.