Indulge in the irresistible taste of soft, homemade, baked pretzel sticks with our easy-to-follow recipe. These golden pretzels are a warm and savory sensation, boasting a rich blend of chewy texture and buttery goodness.
Remember the first time you had a freshly baked, warm and soft pretzel stick at a ball park or stadium? I do… I can still recall the warm aroma of the golden dough wafting through the air, as I tore into the chewy exterior of the pretzel stick, revealing a soft and fluffy interior.
Well, we can’t always go to the ball park to experience one of these delightful snacks, but you can definitely replicate the sensation at home, with this simple, easy-to-follow Baked Pretzel Sticks recipe.
The Baking Soda Bath
One of the most important steps in crafting freshly baked pretzel sticks at home, is to make sure you give them a baking soda bath. Boiling your pretzel stick dough in a baking soda solution for about 30 seconds gives the final bake that dark and rich color. More on this below, in the recipe steps.
The Ingredients for Baked Pretzel Sticks
- 3.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s Dry Active Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar
- 4 tablespoons Butter (unsalted)
- 0.5 cup Baking Soda
- 8 cups water
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 2.5 teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt (optional)
The Equipment Needed
- 1 KitchenAid Mixer
- 1 Dough Hook Attachment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Measuring Cup
Preparing The Dough For Baked Pretzel Sticks
Start by crafting the yeast mixture, by combining the sugar, agave nectar, salt and yeast into a measuring cup.
Give it a good stir and set aside for about 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. (You’ll know it’s ready to go when a layer of foam appears on top.)
Then in your mixer bowl, combine the flour, butter and the yeast mixture.
Using the dough hook attachment, set the mixer speed on medium and let the mixer knead the dough, until the dough becomes sticky enough to pull away from the walls of the mixer bowl. (This should take about 4-5 minutes.)
Next, oil a large bowl with light layer of olive oil and put the kneaded dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 1 hour.
Once an hour has past, the pretzel dough should have roughly doubled in size.
Bring the dough out to a lightly oiled counter top or cutting board and divide into 12 equal parts.
Then roll out into roughly 12 inch pretzel sticks, making sure to give them a good twist at the end to create that iconic pretzel look.
Set aside until your baking soda bath is ready.
Give Your Pretzels A Baking Soda Bath
In a large pot, add 8 cups of water and your baking soda.
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Then, one at a time, drop each pretzel stick into the baking soda bath for exactly 30 seconds.
After the 30 seconds, promptly remove the pretzel dough with a slotted spatula and line them up on your baking sheet.
Pro Tip: Don’t let your pretzel dough sit in the baking soda bath beyond 30 seconds – it will impart a bitter, metallic taste to the pretzel. Also try to let as much of the water drain off as possible – before laying on your baking sheet.
Then beat your egg yolk in a small bowl and brush the beaten egg yolk on top of each pretzel rod on your tray, and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top (optional, I like mine unsalted).
Bake Your Pretzel Sticks
Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Then bake your pretzel sticks in the oven until they are dark golden brown (about 12-15 minutes).
Remove from the oven and let cool about 3 minutes.
Then serve with a side of Whole Grain Dijon Mustard. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Some people even dip these pretzel sticks into melted chocolate, to make chocolate covered pretzel sticks. These baked pretzel sticks are so versatile, you can try them with any combination of dipping sauces!
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Equipment
- 1 Dough Hook Attachment
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 packet Fleischmann's Dry Active Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar
- 4 tablespoons Butter, (unsalted)
- 0.5 cup Baking Soda
- 8 cups Water
- 1 Egg Yolk, (large)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 2.5 teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt, (optional)
Instructions
Preparing The Dough For Baked Pretzel Sticks
- Start by crafting the yeast mixture, by combining the sugar, agave nectar, salt and yeast into a measuring cup.
- Give it a good stir and set aside for about 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. (You'll know it's ready to go when a layer of foam appears on top.)
- Then in your mixer bowl, combine the flour, butter and the yeast mixture.
- Using the dough hook attachment, set the mixer speed on medium and let the mixer knead the dough, until the dough becomes sticky enough to pull away from the walls of the mixer bowl. (This should take about 4-5 minutes.)
- Next, oil a large bowl with light layer of olive oil and put the kneaded dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 1 hour.
- Once an hour has past, the pretzel dough should have roughly doubled in size.
- Bring the dough out to a lightly oiled counter top or cutting board and divide into 12 equal parts.
- Then roll out into roughly 12 inch pretzel sticks, making sure to give them a good twist at the end to create that iconic pretzel look.
- Set aside until your baking soda bath is ready.
Give Your Pretzels A Baking Soda Bath
- In a large pot, add 8 cups of water and your baking soda.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Then, one at a time, drop each pretzel stick into the baking soda bath for exactly 30 seconds.
- After the 30 seconds, promptly remove the pretzel dough with a slotted spatula and line them up on your baking sheet.
- Pro Tip: Don't let your pretzel dough sit in the baking soda bath beyond 30 seconds – it will impart a bitter, metallic taste to the pretzel. Also try to let as much of the water drain off as possible – before laying on your baking sheet.
- Then beat your egg yolk in a small bowl and brush the beaten egg yolk on top of each pretzel rod on your tray, and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top (optional, I like mine unsalted).
Bake Your Pretzel Sticks
- Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Then bake your pretzel sticks in the oven until they are dark golden brown (about 12-15 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and let cool about 3 minutes.
- Then serve with a side of Whole Grain Dijon Mustard. Enjoy!
- Pro Tip: Some people even dip these pretzel sticks into melted chocolate, to make chocolate covered pretzel sticks. These baked pretzel sticks are so versatile, you can try them with any combination of dipping sauces!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
How do you get the dark color on baked pretzel sticks?
One of the most important steps in crafting freshly baked pretzel sticks at home, is to make sure you give them a baking soda bath. Boiling your pretzel stick dough in a baking soda solution for about 30 seconds gives the final bake that dark and rich color.
Are pretzels normally baked or fried?
They are typically baked in an oven at 450°F.
What do you serve freshly baked pretzel sticks with?
In my opinion, the best condiment to accompany pretzel sticks is a dollop of whole grain Dijon mustard – like Maille Old Style Mustard.
Carron
Man – these look legit
Paula
these pretzel sticks were so tasty and I was amazed by how easy the recipe was to follow too.