Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
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Trying to make soft pretzels at home has been on my bucket list for a while (along with tomato pie pizza)! Of course, being a Philadelphia native, pretzels were and still are a big part of living in the area.
Philadelphia soft pretzels are unique in their shape and are sometimes a bit denser than the soft pretzels you may find in your grocery store freezer. They are also a fun project for people like me who love to bake breads.
It’s been said that Philly pretzels get their shape because bakers were trying to maximize space on their baking sheets. This makes sense, as the elongated shape allows for more pretzels to be baked on a single sheet.
I can still remember having a deliciously soft pretzel as my grade school snack, from a vendor named Val, who would have a wonderful assortment of mustards to go along with those delicious soft pretzels that we would buy during recess from the playground.
I would always ask for the extra hot mustard on my pretzel and Val would always say, “Now be careful – that mustard is HOT”. It was an extra special treat when those pretzels were still warm from the oven!
Jump to:
Using Lye to Make Pretzels
For truly authentic pretzels, you really must use lye. Now, I was as nervous as anyone to use lye, but perhaps my recent soap making adventures helped alleviate some of the concern about working with lye, but not necessarily eating things made with lye.
Still, it’s very worthwhile because authentic pretzels must be made with lye and the lye is burned off in the oven.
If you decide to try working with lye, remember to use protective eye wear in case of splashing and gloves are also recommended. Most importantly, NEVER add water to LYE; always always always add the LYE to the WATER.
I’ve read this time and time again and it’s because of the reaction that occurs when the two are mixed. If you add the water to the lye, you can create a violent reaction called the volcano effect.
I always place my “lye dipping dish/pan” into the sink as I’m dipping the pretzels in case of any spills, everything goes right down the drain.
Use non-reactive materials for your lye water, which means glass or stainless steel bowls or deep dishes/pans.
If you are hesitant to use lye, you can always substitute a baking soda bath for the lye bath. Read about the differences between lye and baking soda bath at King Arthur Baking and also about safety tips for working with lye.
Is Lye Safe in Foods?
When lye is used in the process of making pretzels, it undergoes a chemical reaction during baking that neutralizes its caustic properties. This means that the lye essentially “burns off” or reacts with other compounds, resulting in a safe and edible product.
During the baking process, the heat causes the lye to react with the dough, resulting in a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction. This reaction is responsible for the browning and flavor development in baked goods, including the characteristic crust of pretzels.
It’s important to note that while the lye is neutralized during baking, it’s still necessary to handle it with caution before it goes into the oven. This includes wearing protective gear and taking appropriate safety measures to avoid any contact with the skin, eyes, or inhalation of fumes.
If you have concerns about using lye or prefer not to handle it, you can opt for alternative methods such as using a baking soda solution, as mentioned earlier. Baking soda can also help achieve a similar crust color and flavor without the caustic properties of lye.
How to Shape a Pretzel
Tips to Make Soft Pretzels at Home
- The pretzels must be very firm when you dip them in the lye bath and so you must refrigerate for an hour or freeze for about 30 minutes. They will be much easier to handle.
- A food scale helps to ensure the dough is divided evenly (I weigh the total amount of dough and then divide by 12 [or however many you are making] to determine how much each pretzel should weigh.
- Pretzel dough can’t be “made ahead” as the dough will be difficult to shape after it has been fully developed – it’s not as sticky.
Serving Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
These are great served with all kinds of mustards (sweet, hot, etc), cheese dip, cream cheese, and even chocolate dips.
Most people enjoy Philadelphia soft pretzels plain or with mustard. If you order a party tray, the most popular here choice of dips are mustard and cheese dip.
Instead of the pretzel shape, you can shape the dough into “nuggets” (as an example for a party tray) by rolling ropes and cutting into 1 to 2 inch pieces.
Storage and Make Ahead
Pretzels are best eaten the day they are made.
You may freeze pretzels after the lye bath and then bake them at a later time.
Baked pretzels may also be frozen for up to 1 month (to reheat, warm in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes) .
📖 Recipe
Philadelphia Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- baking sheet (about 13 by 18 inches)
Ingredients
For the lye bath
- 4 cups (946.35 g) boiling water
- 4 teaspoons (19.72 g) lye (See NOTES: may substitute baking soda)
For the dough
- 950 grams (7.5 cups) bread flour
- 485 grams (2.0 cups) water can use up to 95 grams or 0.5 cups more if too difficult to knead/work with.
- 28.5 grams (1.5 tbsp) salt
- 9.5 grams (0.75 tsp) instant dry yeast
For the topping
- 2 tbsp pretzel salt may substitute any coarse salt; amount will vary depending on how heavy or light you sprinkle it on.
Instructions
To Make the Dough
- This is an advanced recipe, best suited for folks who are comfortable baking bread.
- Add all ingredients into the bowl of standing mixer and beat slowly until all ingredients are incorporated and no flour remains.
- Turn up speed to medium and knead for about 10 minutes. If the dough is too dense to use the machine, knead on the counter for about the same amount of time. ********If you need to add a bit more water, you can adjust using a few tablespoons of water (up to 0.5 cup for each batch).********
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (a kitchen scale helps a lot) and cover with a damp cloth.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees to prepare for baking.
To Form the Pretzels
- Keep the dough covered and work with one piece at a time.
- Rolling the dough into a long rope about 10 to 20 inches in length. Use slightly damp hands if the dough is dry.
- Twist the ends twice and then lift the ends to join the center of the bottom loop and pinch shut (see video if needed)
- Gently tug at ears of the pretzel to elongate the pretzel and then place them directly next to each other on a baking sheet.
- Cover the pretzels lightly with oiled plastic wrap and let rise slightly for about 30 minutes.
- To firm up pretzels in preparation for dipping, place tray of pretzels in freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerator for 1 hour, uncovered.
To Dip the Pretzels in the Lye Bath
- Set a metal rack over a baking sheet or parchment paper for pretzels to rest after they have been dipped in the lye solution.
- Also prepare a baking sheet for the pretzels to go into the oven. If your baking sheet is not well seasoned, spray with cooking spray or rub lightly with oil.
- To prepare the lye solution, pour 4 cups of boiling water in a heat proof glass or stainless steel baking dish (glass and stainless steel are nonreactive, which is important for working with lye). Let cool slightly for about 3 or 4 minutes.
- Carefully add the 4 teaspoons lye to the water using protective eye wear (ie, glasses) and gloved hands in case of splashing, and step back to avoid breathing in any fumes.
- After lye has dissolved, take pretzels out of freezer (or fridge) and dip them – either one or two at a time in the lye solution for about 10 to 12 seconds, making sure they are fully immersed in the solution. Use metal tongs, protective eye wear, and gloves.
- Place the dipped pretzels on a metal rack set over a baking sheet to allow the excess lye to drip.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with pretzel salt while the pretzels are still wet.
To Bake the Pretzels
- Once oven has reached 425 degrees, you are ready to bake.
- Load the pretzels into the center of the oven and close the door.
- The pretzels should be ready is about 15 minutes or so. Check them at 10 minutes. They are ready when they are a deep golden brown.
I just made this recipe yesterday and it’s pretty much spot on. I used high gluten flour that I use for my homemade NY pizzas (13.5-14% protein), so the dough was even tougher to work with, but it still came out excellent.
I grew up outside of Philly and live in Colorado now. I found this recipe for the Super Bowl! (Go Birds!!) I am by no means an expert bread maker and I was nervous that this dough would be beyond my capabilities, but it was super easy and turned out perfectly. I even bought Gulden’s brown mustard to go with them 😉 I ended up making nuggets for the party rather than whole pretzels but can’t wait to try them full-size. The lye worked great and next time I make them I’m going to try adding the barley malt syrup. That next time might be today, I’m craving them now! Thanks Marie for a great recipe!
Made these for superbowl party where half the people were from Philly. Pretzels were phenomenal!!! Will be making again.
My first time on Philly pretzels but I needed some for the super bowl! I was too chicken to use lye yet so I used a quarter cup of baking soda. I used Caputo 00 flour and Caputo yeast. Also added 1/4 cup brown sugar to the dough.
These were not brown @425 at 15 min, so I lowered the heat to 400 and finished baking for a total of 30 min. I wish I could post a picture but I can’t figure it out here. They look and taste great. Thanks!
What is a good way to make the dough a day ahead of time? I am thinking I could shape them then keep them in the fridge overnight, then do the lye bath and bake when we’re ready to serve them. Sound right? My only concern is they would rise too much and become too ‘fluffy’…
Personally I would shape and freeze them. It makes them so much easier to dip and it will prevent them from overproofing (becoming too poofy) – you can even do this to only bake as much as you need.
Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll give this a try!
As it turns out, we didn’t do them ahead of time. The whole process was pretty simple, your detailed instructions are easy to follow, and the lye bath was not bad to deal with. They just came out of the oven and are FANTASTIC!!! We’ll certainly be doing them again!
I made these beauties last night, and my SO, a true connoisseur of PFP, felt the pretzels were too dense. I wonder if I baked the pretzels too long, rolled the ropes too long, or didn’t bloom my yeast.
Hard to say, maybe do them again and bake them after different stages of proofing? And Philadelphia pretzels -I would say compared to “mall” pretzels – are you aiming for a lighter Philly pretzel or a mall type of pretzel like auntie Ann’s?
Sounds like the mix was too dry, and King Arthur bread dough is a game changer. I had a similar result the first time I made them, but after a few tries, they came out PERFECT!
Hey marie, im far from being a knowledgeable cook. But i love to play around . I took your recipe (x2). I replced a cup of water with a cup of milk. I also added a cup of brown sugar.
I HATE TO BRAG, BUT WE KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK
I’ll have to try that variation!! Yummmm
This recipe is perfect! Pay attention to KA Bread flower and yeast. Add extra water to make it easier to work with. It took two batches to make a pretzel that is as good or better than the Philly Pretzel Factory product. Now…can we add a few ingredients to make it worth all of the work? I plan to try! Marie, you nailed it, and that is rare…Salute!
So glad to hear it Robert! Enjoy! 🥨🥨
Marie,
I have 35 people coming over for Easter, and they are all demanding pretzels…mind you I’m in ChesCo, not Idaho, so kudos to your recipe… I want to make the little pretzel nuggets, but I’m not sure how to get the right size and shape, or how to stack them on a cookie sheet. Any suggestions? Happy Easter! -Rob
Wow! you’re ambitious! I would make long ropes and then cut the size you want. I’d freeze them in single layers on parchment before dipping them in the lye solution to make things easier (you can’t stack them, unfortunately) – they’d have to be a single layer. But you can freeze in layers on parchment. Freeze one layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then add another layer once those are firm enough. Repeat until you have your layers – good luck!
I bought pretzels from Val every day I attended St. Thomas More H.S. at 47th & Wyalusing Av. In WestPhilly. I am going to try this recipe tomorrow.
He was the best!!
Love this recipe!!!!
Thank you!!!
❤️❤️❤️🥨🥨
I am originally from Philly, I’m also Italian and love to cook. I now live upstate PA. Not a pretzel factory anywhere even close to us. My favorite food isn’t easy to get. Im going to try this recipe as soon as I gather the ingredients. We have in the past bought 50 to freeze but honestly they come out terrible after thawing. Im so excited to try making myself.. Thanks so much for the recipe and perfect instructions!! Will let you know how turns out!!
Great recipe but if I may I’d like to suggest the addition of barley malt syrup to the mix. This can be bought at most stores, Eden Organic Barley Malt. I actually bought mine at a beer making supply warehouse by the gallons. It gives the pretzel that unique Philly taste that you’ll instantly recognize. Being a Philly transplant to Arizona I craved the pretzel and actually started baking them for farmers markets, food trucks and restaurants. Biggest compliment was a German lady who said they were the best she’s ever tasted in the US!
That sounds great! I use barley malt syrup in my bagels so I usually have it on hand. I’ll definitely try it in my pretzels too! Thanks for the tip!
Jody,
How much malt syrup would you add to this recipe?
Thanks,
JIll
Hi Jill – I don’t use malt syrup in my soft pretzels, but you could try adding 1% of the total flour (which would equal ~9 to 10 grams – see the volume measurement on the label if don’t use a scale).
How much Barley Malt did you use??
How much barley malt did you use?
Thank you, Traci
Taste, chew, crunch, all fantastic! I’m such a Philly pretzel snob and this one scratches that itch here in Charleston SC. But I have to say, that was the tightest dough I’ve ever worked with by hand…super low hydration. I increased bulk and post-shaping proof times since my yeast appeared sluggish. Lye is the way to go. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you liked them Kevin! And yes, they are super low hydration – good idea to adjust if necessary. It sounds like you are really comfortable baking. I’ll make some notes – thanks for the feedback
I followed this recipe to a T. It’s horrible! The only thing I switched out was the lye to baking soda. Dough was extremely dry. Other recipes call for 3 cups less. I miss my Philly Pretzels
Penny, yes, this is a very low hydration dough which, frankly, can be pretty challenging for a novice or inexperienced bread baker. There is no error, I assure you. However, I will clarify in the instructions that you can add ~100 grams of water or 0.5 cup if the dough is too dry. I’m sorry you were disappointed and hope that the other recipes work out. That said, I’ll warn you that although lye may seem scary to work with you will not get an authentic tasting Philly pretzel using baking soda, so maybe lower your expectations.
Good explanation—— clear to the point
Sam monaco philadelphia – born 1943
Thanks Sam! Hope you try them
Thank you for this blog, Marie! And hello from a Lower Bucks native who’s sorely missed Philadelphia (not “Philly”!) pizza, pretzels, hoagies, and cheesesteaks since moving to Seattle 30+ years ago. After a year+ search for east coast Neapolitan recipes (so confusing), I discovered and immediately made your pizza dough last week (wonderful! will comment on that separately), but then was super excited to find your Phila pretzel recipe too, which I couldn’t wait to bake last night.
Awesome! I used baking soda bath and they came out golden brown, wish I could post a pic on here. I may have *slightly* over baked to get them to a deep brown, which lye may have achieved sooner. Still, they were near perfection out of the oven, crisp outside but still doughy inside (and surely better than damp, pale Roosevelt Boulevard or Vet Stadium parking lot pretzels, for those who know what that means).
I did notice the dough seemed dry and tough to hand knead (I don’t own a mixer), despite my weighing all ingredients precisely. The first few twists were difficult to roll, but improved when I first wet my hands to add a bit of moisture to the dough. I used bread flour, though not King Arthur, so wonder if that makes a difference.
My only VERY minor disappointment is that flavor seemed very mild. Perhaps my flour or yeast choice? Might addition of some sugar help?
Also, one tip to consider adding to this recipe: This as the first time I used true pretzel salt, it’s pricey to buy online in small quantity but makes a huge difference, coarse kosher just isn’t the same on pretzels.
I followed your guidance to dump 2 cups of ice in the oven, and it was fun watching steam exhaust from the oven while the pretzels baked and browned. Marie, can you please elaborate on the purpose of the steam? Yours is the first pretzel recipe I’ve seen with this.
Again, thank you for your time and effort on this blog!
Hi Keith! Thanks so much for your comment and feedback – it helps me to constantly improve recipes. I will made a note to add a bit of water or use damp hands if dough is too dry. I can’t recall the bakers percentages but I recall it is a lower hydration dough which is always a little challenging to work with. If you’d like more flavor, I’d suggest trying to refrigerate them overnight but I’d personally shape them and then do it because I’ve found that once dough is sufficiently developed it loses its “stick” and is harder to form into things like pretzels or bagels. If you use lye, a lot of browning and flavor comes from that but I completely understand that many are put off by that as an ingredient and that it could be hard to find. Good question about the steam – before this, I made mini pretzel buns and the steam helped the buns rise but it’s probably not needed for pretzels. I’ll do a comparison to see – good question. I would also guess that it makes the crust softer depending on how much steam you use.
Hi Marie,
Love your post. It’s a very personal insight. Your pretzels look expert. Congrats. They were a screaming success.
Hi Kimberly – thank you! They were great fun to make, and I definitely see myself making them again sometime soon.
I’m a Philadelphia girl at heart and after moving to the west coast you can’t find pretzels! This by far is the closest recipe I’ve found. I’ve tried many! My only question is I saw it said 4 cups boiling water and 2 tsp lye. Now I see 4 cups boiling water in the ingredients list but only calls for 2 for the dip and now 4 tsp of lye? What’s the extra water for and did you increase the lye?
Sorry for the confusion! Updated. Should be 1 teaspoon lye for every 1 cup of water. So 4 cups water and 4 teaspoons of lye.