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German Soft Pretzel Sticks – How to make homemade soft pretzel sticks. These pretzels are golden and slightly sweet. Perfect appetizer for a crowd.
*Updated January 2017 – This recipe has been the MOST popular recipe on the blog going almost 3 years strong now. You guys have pinned and shared and just can’t get enough of these. And I can honestly see why. I’m such a pretzel fan myself. So I’ve updated these photos and hope you’ll enjoy them just as much or more than the originals. Happy snacking!
I think you’re going to love these slightly sweet pretzel sticks. These are homemade with a delicious dough, baked until golden and salted. These pretzel sticks are so great for the Big Game, time with friends or family, movie night, Friday night snacking and much more.
After making these pretzel sticks one gorgeous afternoon I let the family dive in. Well, only after photos were taken of course. So when it was time to write up this post I was having a bit of a hard time describing them. I knew they were delicious. But so is most food (to this girl, anyway!). I needed more descriptive words.
I didn’t have to look far for the words I needed. There’s this family eating my food. Surely, I could ask them. Husband and 3 kids. How would you describe these pretzel sticks?
“Soft.”
“Golden.”
“Awesome.”
“I could eat them all in one day.”
“Surprising!”
“Delicious.”
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And my absolute favorites by my hubby….
“There’s a party in my mouth and everyone is invited.”
“Better than Philly Pretzel Factory.” (Shh….Don’t tell anyone that one.)
So there you have it, folks. Lots of reasons to try these awesome surprising delicious German soft pretzel sticks. As if you need more than one reason. ☺
Amaze your friends, family or neighbors with these homemade delicious sticks. This recipe makes plenty to share!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
I’ve created a how-to video to help you in the process.
They taste so much better than a pretzel you can buy on the street.
This recipe makes enough to share.
They don’t have to be perfect to taste delicious. Go enjoy!
Til we meet and eat again,
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4.78 from 18 votes
Print Rate
Course: Pretzel
Cuisine: Appetizer or Snack
Prep Time: 2 hours hours
Cook Time: 11 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 11 minutes minutes
Servings: 24
Melanie - Gather for Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups warm water about 110 degrees
- 5½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 5¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading
- ¾ cup baking soda
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
- 1 Tablespoon of butter for buttering parchment
Instructions
In a large bowl of stand mixer, combine the brown sugar and 2 cups of warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable oil and 3 cups of the flour. Knead in the remaining 2¾ cups of flour; the dough will be slightly sticky. Knead until smooth and silky, about 3 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, knead in up to ¼ cup more flour.
Transfer the dough to alarge, greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough lightly, flatten it out and cut it into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 7-8 inch stick about ½ inch thick. Transfer the sticks to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Let stand uncovered until puffed, about 25 minutes.
Heat up 1 cup of hot water on burner. Keep hot until needed. (Or heat in microwave.)
In a large, deep skillet, stir the baking soda into 2 quarts of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Using 2 slotted spoons, carefully transfer 6 pretzel sticks at a time to the simmering water for a total of 30 seconds. Turning once after 15 seconds. Add about 1 cup of hot water before cooking the second batch of pretzels. Transfer the pretzel sticks to paper towels to drain, then return them to the baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Add another cup of hot water before the second batch.
Brush the pretzel sticks with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake until deeply browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe from: Food and Wine