Bavarian Style Soft Pretzels
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These traditional Bavarian-style soft pretzels feature a deep brown, glossy crust, crunchy arms, and a moist, chewy interior. Utilizing a poolish for deep flavor development and a traditional lye bath, they deliver an authentic bakery-quality taste right at home.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Prepare the poolish and ferment at room temperature for 6-24 hours. → Mix and knead the dough with a stand mixer, adding butter gradually, then let rise for 2 hours. → Shape into 24-inch tapered ropes, twist into pretzels, proof for 1 hour, and refrigerate overnight. → Dip chilled pretzels in a prepared lye bath (or boiling baking soda solution) for 15-25 seconds. → Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 18-20 minutes until deeply golden brown.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Prepare the poolish and ferment at room temperature for 6-24 hours. → Mix and knead the dough with a stand mixer, adding butter gradually, then let rise for 2 hours. → Shape into 24-inch tapered ropes, twist into pretzels, proof for 1 hour, and refrigerate overnight. → Dip chilled pretzels in a prepared lye bath (or boiling baking soda solution) for 15-25 seconds. → Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 18-20 minutes until deeply golden brown.
Introduction
These traditional Bavarian-style soft pretzels feature a deep brown, glossy crust, crunchy arms, and a moist, chewy interior. Utilizing a poolish for deep flavor development and a traditional lye bath, they deliver an authentic bakery-quality taste right at home.
Step 1
In a high-sided container, combine 100g room temperature water, a pinch of yeast, and 100g all-purpose flour. Stir well, cover with a lid, and let ferment at room temperature for 6 to 24 hours (24 hours is highly recommended).
Step 2
In a stand mixer bowl, combine 150g warm water, all of the ripe poolish, and 3g instant yeast. Stir to combine, then add 250g all-purpose flour, 10g salt, and 20g diastatic malt powder. Mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed for about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Once the dough begins to come together, add 50g softened butter piece by piece. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead for about 3 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated.
Step 4
If flecks of butter are still visible, mix on high speed for another minute. Check the gluten development using the windowpane test; the dough should stretch thin enough to let light pass through without tearing.
Step 5
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. Perform a strength-building stretch-and-fold, then cover and let rise for 2 hours in a warm place until doubled in size.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
Baking by weight with a scale is highly recommended for bread doughs to ensure consistency.
Chilling the shaped pretzels overnight allows the butter to solidify, making them much easier to handle without losing their shape during dipping.
Food-grade lye produces the most authentic, shiny brown crust and distinct pretzel flavor; baking soda is a safer, but slightly less crusty, alternative.
For the classic Bavarian pretzel texture, ensure you bake them dark enough—the thin arms should be crunchy, while the fat center remains soft.
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