The baking-soda bath is the whole secret: it browns the twists mahogany and gives that unmistakable pretzel chew. Active dry yeast's finest hour.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
8
500 g
🌾 Bread Flour ›
2 tsp
🍞 Active Dry Yeast ›
bloomed in the warm water
300 ml
💧 Sparkling Water ›
warm water
1 tbsp
🟤 Brown Sugar ›
2 tsp
🧂 Salt ›
60 g
🥄 Baking Soda ›
for the bath
1
🥚 Eggs ›
1 tbsp
🧂 Flaky Sea Salt ›
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
30m
Prep
15m
Cook
45m
Total
8
Serves
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Prep checklist
Active Dry Yeast — bloomed in the warm water
Sparkling Water — warm water
Baking Soda — for the bath
3 steps
Method
1
Bloom the yeast in warm water with sugar 10 minutes until foamy (this is active dry's ritual — no foam means dead yeast, start over). Knead with flour and salt 8 minutes; rise 1 hour.
2
Divide into 8; roll long ropes and twist into pretzels. Dunk each 20 seconds in simmering water + baking soda.
💡
The alkaline bath gelatinizes the surface — that's the dark shine and chew. Skipping it makes breadsticks in costume.
3
Egg wash, flaky salt, and bake at 220°C until deep mahogany, 12–14 minutes. Mustard is traditional; melted cheddar is American; both are correct.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight container, 3 days.
Freezing
Usually better fresh.
Reheating
A hot dry pan or 180°C oven re-crisps almost anything in 3–5 minutes.
Make ahead
Portion into grab-and-go containers; most keep 3 days.