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Hi Bold Bakers!
Since I received my pizza oven from Italy, I have been doing a lot of bread making. Something that you have requested a lot is a great recipe for soft pretzels. I tried a few for you and I found this was the best. One huge thing for me is that it is a No-Knead Dough, so you get a great result with little work.
What is a No-Knead Dough?? It is a dough that you don’t need a machine for. You mix the dough by hand and you let the dough proof and ferment overnight. You get great flavor and texture from the fermenting that I personally have not been able to achieve on a machine. It is my favorite method for bread making because it takes the guess work out of creating amazing doughs.
I have made many No-Knead Doughs on Bigger Bolder Baking, like my amazing No Knead Cinnamon Rolls and No Knead Brioche Dough.
This is another recipe where I used my Alfa Pizza Wood-Fired Oven just like my Chocolate Dulce de Leche Empanadas. The results are so lovely and you can’t beat the feeling of making breads/doughs outdoors! So let’s get baking!

As a bread baker I am obsessed with bread making. If you are a little weary of failing when it comes to dough, don’t be. This method of making doughs will make you feel like a professional once you see the results.

Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Learn how to make my Homemade Soft Pretzels recipe with my favorite no-knead, no-machine method!
Author: adapted from https://nokneadbreadcentral.com
Servings: 9
Ingredients
- 3 cups (42Og/ 15oz) strong flour/ bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp yeast (I used active dried yeast)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 10 ½ ounces water
- To poach the pretzels : 6 cups (1 1/2 litre) water
- 6 tsp (2 level tablespoons) baking soda
- egg wash
- salt
- melted butter , to brush pretzels
Instructions
In a large bowl add in the flour.
Put yeast on one side of the bowl and salt and sugar on the side of the bowl.If you add the salt on top of the yeast it will deactivate that yeast and your dough will not rise.
Add in water and mix to form a dough. That's it, your dough is done!
Wrap the bowl tight with film wrap and lay a bowl over it. Put it in a dry place at room temp and leave overnight. A minimum of 12 hours, but up to 18 hours and let time do its magic. I do 18 hours 🙂
The next day your dough will smell boozy and bubbling. It is pretty incredible.
Turn out onto a floured surface and divide into 9 balls and let it and relax for 2 minutes
To shape: take each piece of dough and begin rolling them on the counter. Bang the dough on the counter like I do in the video and they will just naturally get longer and longer. Keep going until you reach 24 inches (60 cm). Twist the ends of the dough and press onto the the opposite sides of the pretzel.
Put straight into boiling water with baking soda and poach for JUST 30 seconds, then place on a baking tray. This boiling step is the secret to firm skin and adds that definite pretzel flavor.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt
Bake 450oF (225oC) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve immediately and enjoy!!!!
Recipe Notes
WW SmartPoints: 4
WW PlusPoints: 4
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Soft Pretzels (No Knead, No Machine Recipe)
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 152
% Daily Value*
Sodium 258mg11%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 5g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Some fun variations for this dough:
Pretzel knots

A fun variation for your pretzel dough is to make some pretzel knots. Rather then shape like a pretzels knot the dough like you would a pice of string. I sprinkled mine with fresh rosemary and served with mustard sauce.
Cinnamon Pretzels

I love these little cinnamon treats. I just cut the dough into small pieces and once baked I brushed with butter and tossed them in cinnamon sugar with a little pinch of salt. The reason there are only a few in the bowl is because I ate them while taking photos, lol.