Want Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels? Skip the Boil. | undefined (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't boil pretzels before baking? ›

Like bagels, pretzels are made in boiling water prior to baking to give them their snappy outsides and chewy insides (messy!). Soft pretzels must be boiled, or dipped in a baking soda bath (or lye if you're gusty and strict with your pretzel traditions).

But it's the distinctive "pretzel" flavor that makes this bread extraordinary. That comes from dipping the shaped dough in an alkaline solution — traditionally a small amount of food-grade lye dissolved in water — before baking.

The boiling water also locks in the shape so the pretzels don't over-puff in the oven. (Without the baking soda bath, you lose texture, that deep brown color, and flavor. So, basically, you will have bite-size bread instead of pretzels.)

Room Temperature: The best way to store your pretzels at room temperature is by using a bread box. Bread boxes let the right amount of air circulate so your bread (or pretzels!) remain moisture-free without going stale. If you don't have a bread box, you can opt for a paper bag or a storage container.

As a result, the pretzel darkens better in the oven (if this step weren't taken, pretzels would have the same color as plain bagels) and the soft pretzel develops its crispy — yet chewy — texture for which it's known. Typically a half cup of baking soda is used in two quarts of water for the solution.

Anyone who has tried to make homemade pretzels knows that there is one essential step that you can never skip: boiling your pretzels in baking soda water before baking.

Whisk together 2 cups of warm water and the baking soda in a shallow dish. Dip the pretzels into the baking soda bath. Flip and dip the other side. Place the dipped pretzels onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.

What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.

2 tablespoons (40 grams) food grade lye, see notes for baking soda alternative. 1 liter (1000 grams) water, room temperature. Pretzel salt or coarse salt.

Why do my homemade pretzels taste like baking soda? ›

When baked, the heat of the oven causes the molecules in baking soda to react with one another and give off water and carbon dioxide. This reaction removes about one-third of the water and carbon dioxide in baking soda, leaving behind a more robust sodium carbonate.

The pretzel, known as "Brezel" in German, is a type of baked bread product that is typically twisted into a distinctive knot-like shape. Its origin is often attributed to Germany, specifically to the region of Bavaria, although its precise beginnings are somewhat debated.

Drizzle a small amount of water over the pretzel so that the pretzel is moist but not soggy. Wrap your pretzel in aluminum foil and place it in the oven for five minutes. If you want a crispier exterior, leave the aluminum foil off and just place the pretzel directly on the middle rack of your oven.

Like lye, baking soda is an alkaline substance, and when mixed with water and brushed over the pretzel dough, it changes the pH of the dough and gelates the surface starch. In the oven, the starch gel hardens and the alkaline baking soda makes browning happen fast.

If you don't let the dough rest, you run the risk of over working it, which would result in tough, dense pretzels. Don't omit the sugar from the recipe. This gives the yeast something to feed on so you can tell if it's good. Keep a close eye on the pretzels when they're under the broiler.

This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.

Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.

Parboiling (partially boiling) the potatoes helps to soften them, reducing the overall baking time. It also ensures that the potatoes cook evenly during baking. Additionally, boiling can enhance the texture of the potatoes, making them fluffier on the inside while still achieving a crispy exterior when baked.

As noted above, baking soda is a staple ingredient for making homemade pretzels. Dunking your pretzels in a baking soda bath prior to baking is what enables them to develop their distinctive color and crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture.