• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Baking for Happiness
  • Recipes
  • About Us
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Us
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Homemade Pretzels and Lye Pastries

    Written by Kathrin (Leave a Comment)

    Making homemade pretzels and lye pastries is not difficult at all. This easy recipe is sure to succeed - I promise!

    homemade-lye-pastries

    I think Bavarians like me soak up the love of pretzels and Co. already as a child 😉 . Even if not everything went smoothly on the first attempt, now I am a big fan of my home-baked pretzels.

    Jump to:
    • Taste and Occasion
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Pretzels and Lye Pastries
    • Top Tip
    • Recipe Card
    • Pretzels and Lye Pastries
    • Variations
    • Nutrition
    • Reviews

    Taste and Occasion

    Even if there are pretzels in Germany at every gas station, discount store and bakery for little money, nothing beats the homemade alternative! And what many "bakers" offer as homemade and at high prices is, in truth, unfortunately often only a baked frozen dough. Therefore: Into the kitchen and make these homemade pretzels yourself!

    homemade-pretzels-and-lye-pastries

    Ingredients

    The ingredients are very basic. Moreover, it is a simple, salty yeast dough. Only the dipping in the lye, which leads to the typical coloring and an extraordinary taste, is tricky (some more info on that later). You can, of course, form rolls, sticks, or knots from my pretzel recipe.

    You can also play nicely with the size of the homemade lye pastries. For example, I formed cute-looking mini pretzels, tiny pretzel curls, and little sticks. Perfect for little hands of children 😉 . For the pretzel recipe, you need soft butter; if you want the pastry to be vegan, use margarine.

    lye-pastry-recipe

    How to make Pretzels and Lye Pastries

    Check out my other similar recipes!
    • Farmer's Bread with Yeast
    • Traditional White Loaf Bread
    • Soft and Fluffy Braided Bread
    • Focaccia Recipe
      Focaccia with herbs and tomatoes

    Read the recipe well, then you will succeed with the homemade pretzels and lye pastries for sure. First of all, crumble the yeast into the lukewarm water for the pre-dough and mix with the sugar until the yeast is dissolved. Now, put the flour into a mixing bowl and press a large hollow with a spoon.

    Next, pour the yeast water into the hollow and stir with a bit of flour from the edge with the spoon. Let the pre-dough stand for about 10 minutes so that tiny bubbles form. Add the lukewarm milk to the bowl together with the fat and salt. Mix everything briefly and then knead the dough with the hooks for about 8-10 minutes. If you use unsalted butter or margarine, you can add a bit more salt. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the yeast dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

    After that, shape the dough into normal-sized pretzels, pretzel sticks, or pretzel rolls, or alternatively into small minis, as desired. The quantity makes about 20 pretzel minis or 12 regular-sized pretzels. For pretzels, first form a really, very thin roll (roughly baking sheet length) and thick in the middle, getting thinner at the ends. Place on the work surface, grasp ends, fold over each other and press down slightly on the sides of the "belly" of pretzels.

    Now it's time for placing the pretzels spaced apart on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Cover again and let the pretzels rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 440°F/220°C. Now, put the water in a large shallow saucepan, bring to a boil, add the baking soda and remove from the heat.

    Drop your pretzel pastries one at a time into the water for about 15 seconds and return to the baking sheet. In the end, sprinkle the pastries with salt and/or cut them, if desired. Bake for approx. 20 minutes; little lye pastries only need approx. 15 minutes. You're done!

    pretzels-recipe

    Top Tip

    Recipe Recommendation

    Farmer's Bread with Yeast

    This farmer's bread is healthy and super easy! It's especially delicious when baked on a pizza or bread stone.

    Homemade pretzels and lye pastries recipe with or without caustic soda? If you want to make your own pretzels, you first have to decide: Do you take "real" caustic soda, which you can possibly only get at the pharmacy and with which you have to be careful because it is corrosive? Or do you make the pretzels without sodium bicarbonate but with household soda?

    I always stick to the "safe" alternative, even though it doesn't make the pretzel pastry quite true to style, keeps it lighter in color and doesn't give it a unique baking soda flavor.

    recipe-for-homemade-pretzels

    Recipe Card

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Click on the stars to rate the recipe
    No ratings yet

    Pretzels and Lye Pastries

    This is a perfect recipe for anyone who loves pretzels. While pretzels and Co. won't be accurate to style without real (caustic) soda, making them with baking soda is much easier and less dangerous.
    Prep Time25 mins
    Baking Time20 mins
    Waiting Time1 hr 30 mins
    Servings: 12 pretzels
    Calories: 176kcal

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • ½ cube fresh yeast, when overnighting half is enough
    • 150 milliliters (10 tablespoons) water, lukewarm
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, preferably type 550, but normal white flour will also work
    • 100 milliliters (7 tablespoons) milk, lukewarm
    • 30 grams (2 tablespoons) butter, soft; or margarine
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For dipping

    • 100 grams (⅘ cup) baking soda, e.g. Kaiser baking soda
    • 1 liter (4 ⅕ cups) water

    Instructions

    • First, crumble the yeast into the lukewarm water for the pre-dough and mix with the sugar until the yeast is dissolved. Put the flour into a mixing bowl and press a large hollow with a spoon.
    • Pour the yeast water into the hollow and stir with a bit of flour from the edge with the spoon. Let the pre-dough stand for about 10 minutes so that tiny bubbles form.
    • Add the lukewarm milk to the bowl together with the fat and salt. Mix everything briefly and then knead the dough with the dough hooks for about 8-10 minutes. If you use unsalted butter or margarine, you can add a bit more salt. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the yeast dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
    • Shape the dough into normal-sized pretzels, pretzel sticks, or pretzel rolls, or alternatively into small minis, as desired. The quantity makes about 20 pretzel minis or 12 regular pretzels. For pretzels, first form a really, very thin roll (roughly baking sheet length) and thick in the middle, getting thinner at the ends. Place on the work surface, grasp ends, fold over each other and press down slightly on the sides of the "belly" of pretzels.
    • Place pretzels spaced apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover again and let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 440°F/220°C.
    • Put the water in a large shallow saucepan, bring to a boil and add the baking soda. Remove from the heat. Drop pretzel pastries one at a time into the water for about 15 seconds and return to the baking sheet.
    • Sprinkle the pastries with salt and/or cut them, if desired. Bake for approx. 20 minutes; little lye pastries only need approx. 15 minutes.

    Ingredient substitutions

    Do you want to replace some ingredients? Here you find tips for baking ingredient substitutions!
    Making homemade pretzels and lye pastries is not difficult at all. This easy recipe is sure to succeed - I promise!Making homemade pretzels and lye pastries is not difficult at all. This easy recipe is sure to succeed - I promise!Making homemade pretzels and lye pastries is not difficult at all. This easy recipe is sure to succeed - I promise!

    Variations

    Because the shaping and baking of homemade pretzels and lye pastries is time-consuming, I usually make a relatively large batch and then freeze some. This way we always have "freshly baked" rolls and pretzels (entirely without industrial dough). Why don't you give it a try!? By the way, how about some more recipes for your next baking session? For example, this delicious sourdough bread without yeast, the Italian ciabatta or the braided bread? In my bread category, you will find more delicious recipes that are also sure to succeed!

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Pretzels and Lye Pastries
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 176 Calories from Fat 27
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 3g5%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 6mg2%
    Sodium 2403mg104%
    Potassium 58mg2%
    Carbohydrates 33g11%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 76IU2%
    Calcium 20mg2%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Similar Recipes

    • Farmer's Bread with Yeast
      0
      Farmer's Bread with Yeast
    • Traditional White Loaf Bread
      0
      Traditional White Loaf Bread
    • Soft and Fluffy Braided Bread
      0
      Soft and Fluffy Braided Bread
    • Focaccia with herbs and tomatoes
      0
      Focaccia with herbs and tomatoes
    • Cheese Buns
      0
      Cheese Buns
    • The Perfect Yeast Dough
      0
      The Perfect Yeast Dough
    • Classic Crumb Cake Recipe
      0
      Classic Crumb Cake Recipe
    • German Bee Sting Cake
      0
      German Bee Sting Cake
    • How to make Grissini
      0
      How to make Grissini
    • About Kathrin & Jan

      It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!

      Kathrin & Jan

      Get to know us. →

    • Homemade Italian Ciabatta Bread
      0
      Homemade Italian Ciabatta Bread
    • Easy Thin Crust Pizza Dough
      0
      Easy Thin Crust Pizza Dough
    • Cinnamon Rolls
      0
      Cinnamon Rolls
    • Sugarfree Cinnamon Rolls
      0
      Sugarfree Cinnamon Rolls
    • German butter cake with almond topping
      0
      German butter cake with almond topping
    • Easy Sourdough Peasant Bread
      0
      Easy Sourdough Peasant Bread
    • Easy Naan Bread
      0
      Easy Naan Bread
    • Crispy Baby Bread Rolls
      0
      Crispy Baby Bread Rolls
    • Turkish Borek with Spinach and Cheese
      0
      Turkish Borek with Spinach and Cheese
    • How To Make Sourdough Bread
      0
      How To Make Sourdough Bread
    • Bread Toast
      0
      Bread Toast
    • French Brioche
      0
      French Brioche
    • Healthy Baby Spelt Sticks (No-Sugar)
      0
      Healthy Baby Spelt Sticks (No-Sugar)
    • Simple Vegan Streusel Coffee Cake
      0
      Simple Vegan Streusel Coffee Cake
    • Original Donuts
      0
      Original Donuts
    • Gluten-Free Bread
      0
      Gluten-Free Bread

    More Bread Recipes

    • easy recipe for fluffy cheese buns
      Soft & Fluffy Cheese Buns
    • Naan Bread with Yogurt
    • The Best Homemade Burger Buns
    • Quick and Easy Bread Toast

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, we're Kathrin & Jan!

    It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking is what makes us happy.

    Welcome and enjoy our blog!
    Learn more about us. →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Baking for Happiness

    Privacy Policy | Contact