Homemade Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dip

These soft and buttery homemade pretzels might just be the most delicious things to ever come out of your oven…

Let me be honest with you — when you make these homemade soft pretzels, make sure you have enough for everyone in your family to have two, because otherwise wrestling matches might break out in your kitchen.

These soft buttery pretzels are absolutely irresistible. They are just the right amount of chewy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. When I dip them in my homemade honey mustard dressing, I just can’t stop eating them.

Would you look at me differently if I told you I ate THREE of them while photographing this post?

You owe it to yourself to make these pretzels — you really do.

And they aren’t as hard or as time consuming as you might think.

Sure, you do have to break out the yeast. But, really, you don’t need to be afraid of yeast. You can do this!

A Quick Primer in Baking with Yeast

When choosing what kind of yeast to use, you can use active dry yeast or instant/rapid rise yeast.

One difference between the two is that you must dissolve active dry yeast in water before you use it, but instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.

Another difference between rapid-rise yeast and active dry yeast is the rising time for the rapid-rise is half that of active dry.

But whether or not I use rapid-rise yeast or active dry, I still prefer to dissolve the yeast in warm water with sugar to ensure that my yeast is well mixed into my dough and that my yeast is fresh before I bake with it.

Note: to test if yeast is fresh, mix yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar and let it stand for 5 minutes. Yeast that is fresh and good to use will foam and froth after a few minutes.

Just make sure that your water is the right temperature — water that is too hot or too cold will kill your yeast.

To ensure that the water you are mixing with your yeast is “warm”, you can use a thermometer. The ideal temperature is 110°F-115°F.

After letting your yeast and water mixture stand for about 5-10 minutes, when the yeast is foaming vigorously, you can add it to the remaining ingredients.

Just remember to check your recipe and see if they have accounted for the amount of water used to activate the yeast. If the recipe has not adjusted for the liquid used to dissolve the yeast, decrease the total liquids in your recipe by 1/2 cup or whatever amount you used to dissolve your yeast.

One other concern you might face when baking with yeast is how to get your dough to rise properly.

Yeast is more active in a warmer environment – ideally between 70-80°F.

So to get your dough to rise quickly, in about an hour or two, cover your dough with a damp dish towel and place in a warm area — such as on top of the fridge or in a warm, but turned OFF, oven.

However, if your house is hot or humid, you may need to find a cooler part of the house, such as a closet or basement.

If you prefer and you have the time, you can allow your dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator instead.

Also note that butter, eggs, milk and sugar can slow down yeast activity. When making breads with a larger percentage of these ingredients your dough may rise less and more slowly.

Making Your Pretzels

While I made these pretzels with my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and the dough hook attachment, I have also made batches without a mixer, mixing and kneading by hand.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for ten minutes or until mixture is foaming.

Stir in salt and melted butter. With the dough hook attachment, on low speed add in flour one cup at a time until well combined and a dough begins to form. The dough should not be too sticky. You may not need all of the flour, depending on the temperature and humidity. If your dough is too dry, you can add one or two more tablespoons of water.

Knead dough for about 5 minutes, (check your mixer’s manual to determine speed for kneading,) until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from mixer bowl and form into a ball. Grease the bowl with vegetable oil and return dough, turning to coat with oil. Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm area for one hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large pot, make the baking soda bath by mixing baking soda with 6-8 cups of water and bringing to a boil.

While the water is heating, punch down the dough and flatten and form into a large circle on a slightly oiled working surface, such as a clean counter-top. Cut the dough, like a pizza, into eight equal pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 20 inches long. Twist dough into pretzel shape by making a large U shape. While holding the ends of the rope, cross and bring back down, pressing into the bottom of the pretzel shape.

Lower pretzel on a slotted spatula into hot baking soda bath for 20-30 seconds.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating baking sheet once during baking if one side is browning more quickly.

Remove from oven, brush generously with melted butter and allow to cool for 5 minutes while you whip together your honey mustard dip.

When it comes to mustard dips, sometimes I go all out with a combination of Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, honey and a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. (I never measure, I just go by instinct.)

If I want a healthier version, I will swap out the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.

Other times, if I am in a hurry, I might just mix together yellow mustard and mayonnaise and be done with it.

But whatever way I make my mustard dip, I always end up licking up every last drop.

Serve pretzels warm and enjoy. They will disappear way too quickly.

Homemade Soft Pretzel and Honey Mustard Dip Recipe

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Don’t Miss This Recipe

Speaking of honey mustard dip and delicious salty snacks I can’t stop eating, don’t miss this Crispy Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Honey Mustard Dip Recipe. I posted it three years ago and it still one of my favorites.

Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
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