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There’s something universally joyful about a warm loaf of bread straight from the oven. Soft pretzels rank high on the list of comfort foods, and pretzel rolls are equally irresistible. Combine those pleasures into a single loaf and you get a deep, dark brown pretzel bread—chewy yet tender, crusty and sprinkled with coarse salt. I didn’t realize I needed an entire loaf of soft pretzel bread until I baked one.
This is pure eating happiness.
Picture a fried egg sandwich or grilled cheese on toasted pretzel bread. Think roast beef piled on a pretzel loaf. A wedge of pretzel bread is perfect for dunking into broccoli cheddar soup or a rich beef stew. Sometimes I simply slice a slab, sear it in a pat of butter until the cut side crisps, then bite through the crunchy, buttery edge into the soft crumb and salty crust—nothing fancy required.
Cook’s Notes
- Shaping the loaf is slightly different than shaping a typical sandwich loaf. After the first rise, turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Lift one quarter of the dough and fold it under toward the bottom; rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat until you’ve formed a smooth-ish ball. Place the ball on the work surface and rotate it while cupping the edges with your hands to tighten the surface into a smooth, taut skin. Transfer the round to a lined baking sheet and cover lightly with a damp tea towel for the second rise.
- The video demonstrates a double batch. If you follow the recipe as written for a single batch, you’ll shape and boil one loaf.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare the pretzel boil.
- I prefer using brown sugar in the boil to encourage a darker, shinier crust. It doesn’t make the crust noticeably sweet; it simply gives the exterior extra sugar to help with browning. You could also use an egg wash if you prefer.
- When storing a cooled pretzel loaf, avoid airtight bags that trap moisture and soften the crust or make the pretzel salt sweat. A plain paper grocery bag is ideal: cool the loaf completely to room temperature, then place it inside the bag and fold the top under. This keeps the bread protected for a day or so while preserving the crust.
- If the bread starts to stale, don’t discard it—stale pretzel bread makes excellent toast, grilled cheese, or croutons. No pretzel bread left behind!
Pretzel Bread
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour 1 pound 1 ounce, by weight
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup hot tap water
For the pretzel boil:
- 2 quarts water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
For topping:
- water in a spray bottle
- pretzel salt
Instructions
To Make the Dough by Hand:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Switch to a sturdy spoon and stir in the milk and hot water until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not stiff. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until nearly doubled and puffy, about an hour.
To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
- In the mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix briefly on low, then add the milk and water while mixing on low. Continue until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled and puffy, about an hour.
To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
- Add the milk, water, flour, sugar, and yeast to your bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and start. Allow the cycle to finish.
To form, boil, and bake the pretzel bread:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or nonstick foil.
- Turn the risen dough onto a clean surface and shape into a round by folding the edges under and rotating the dough until the top surface is smooth and tight. Place the round on the prepared pan, cover, and let rise while the oven preheats.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a non-reactive pot. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Carefully lower the loaf into the boiling water, top-side down first. Simmer about 3 minutes, flip, and simmer another 2 minutes. Remove the loaf with slotted spoons or spatulas and return it to the lined pan.
- Lightly spritz the loaf with water and sprinkle with coarse pretzel salt. Use a sharp knife to score the loaf about 1/4 inch deep along the contours. Bake 35 minutes or until the crust is deep brown and the center reaches at least 185°F on an instant-read thermometer. For an even crustier loaf, bake until the internal temperature is 205°F.
- Transfer the baked bread to a rack and let cool completely before slicing.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition tool.
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