Homemade Hard Pretzels

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Pretzel Logic

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (4)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(4)

Cook Time:
1 hr 5 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
36 pretzel sticks

Times:

Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Total:: 3 hr 25 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
1 large whole egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Vegetable oil, for pan
Water
Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Place enough water into a large roasting pan to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 1-ounce portions, approximately 36 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 14 to15-inch long stick and place on the sheet pans, 1/4-inch apart. Cover the dough not being used with a slightly damp towel to help prevent drying out.

Gently place 6 to 8 pretzels at a time into the water for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzels back to the sheet pan, brush with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown in color and hard, approximately 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Pear and Pistachio Cake with Belle de Brillet and Vanilla Custard

Picture of Homemade Hard Pretzels Recipe

Photo: Homemade Hard Pretzels

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 17

View all 17 Appetizer Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Homemade Hard Pretzels
Carolyn Upper Black Eddy, PA 02-22-2009
Flag

Best pretzels ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My pretzels didn't look like the photo, I made them much smaller. We got a huge bag from this recipe that will last us 2... weeks! (Even though the recipe says good for 1, we'll see...) I used regular salt and had the other ingredients in my kitchen, minus the parchment paper. I also used egg substitute and that worked fine. I am going to make these instead of buying pretzels from now on. I like that I know what is going into them. Plus, the taste is really quite good. Much better than store-bought. Really nice!Read more
recipe Homemade Hard Pretzels
S. Rye Brook, NY 09-28-2008
Flag

Amazingly Great!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are the best pretzels we've ever had - "the best in the world" says our 6 year old daughter! "We love Alton Brown"... chant our kids! We made these pretzels with the kids and they loved cooking them and eating them (with mustard) and hot dogs, sauerkraut and beans for a Bavarian treat dinner! We used course sea salt to sprinkle on top because we couldn't find pretzel salt and it worked just great. We love you Alton Brown!!!!Read more
recipe Homemade Hard Pretzels
constance barnegat, NJ 03-03-2008
Flag

hard pretzels
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

great recipe
recipe Homemade Hard Pretzels
Anonymous 08-13-2007
Flag

Great!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made AB's "soft" pretzels several times and they are just wonderful - always gone in a few minutes! So I thought I... would try the "hard" version, as well. They are very good, too! As with the soft version, they are very easy to make. I would definitely make these again, but we are all really hooked on the soft ones!Read more