Philadelphia Soft Pretzels

Name: Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Philadelphia
Ingredients: 1.5 cup Water; 1 tbsp Sugar; 2.25 tsp Active dry yeast; 4.5 cup Bread flour; 1 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp melted butter; 0.67 cup Baking soda; coarse salt

Chewy, dark-brown pretzels twisted by hand and boiled in a baking soda bath before baking, sold on Philadelphia street corners for generations.

🇺🇸United States· Pennsylvania

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 250 kcal

Equipment

•Baking sheet
•Wide pot for boiling

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 250 kcal
fat: 3
carbs: 48
protein: 7
calories: 250

Instructions

1
Stir the sugar and yeast into warm water. Let it sit and foam for 5 minutes.
2
Mix in the flour, salt, and melted butter. Stir until a smooth dough forms.
3
Knead the dough for 8 minutes. Place it in a covered bowl to rise for 1 hour.
4
Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope and twist it into a pretzel shape.
5
Bring a wide pot of water to a boil on the stovetop. Stir in the baking soda.
6
Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side. Move them to a sheet pan.
7
Sprinkle coarse salt on top. Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes until deeply browned.
8
Let the pretzels cool slightly before serving.

Chef's tips

A quick boil in baking soda water gives pretzels their dark color and chewy bite. Shape them quickly so the dough does not rise too much before baking.