These pizza dough pretzels are the perfect shortcut to freshly baked soft pretzels at home. All the same chewy deliciousness as homemade from scratch, but without all the fuss.
They’re perfectly delicious on their own, but 1000x better served with my creamy gouda cheese sauce or a cheesy soup.
I hope you love them as much as I do!
What You’ll Need
Refrigerated pizza dough: Skip the intimidating yeast and save time without needing the dough to rise–refrigerated pizza dough is perfect for making pretzels! I tested this recipe with both Trader Joe’s refrigerated fresh pizza dough and Pillsbury canned refrigerated pizza dough. Both kinds result in delicious pretzels, but ultimately Trader Joe’s dough was the best.
Baking soda: A generous amount of baking soda is added to a pot of simmering water. The pretzels then briefly soak in this baking soda bath. This gives the pretzels the nice crust.
Egg: An egg is used for egg wash in this recipe. You’ll brush it over your pretzels to help them brown nicely.
Butter: Butter makes everything better. Including pretzels. The pretzels get brushed with a good layer of butter after they’re finished baking.
Salt: After the brushing the baked pretzels with butter, they get sprinkled with flaky sea salt. YUM.
How to Make Pizza Dough Pretzels
- Let the dough sit at room temperature. Do this for about 10-15 minutes. This helps it become softer and easier to work with.
- Make a baking soda bath. You’ll combine baking soda with water in a large pot and bring it to a boil, then let it simmer.
- Shape the pretzels. You can shape them into classic pretzels or pretzel bites–either way is delicious. Detailed instructions for shaping are in the recipe instructions below as well as photos directly below.
- Soak the pretzels in the baking soda bath. This helps them form that classic browned crust and delicious pretzel-y taste.
- Bake the pretzels. Brushing them with egg wash before and halfway through baking will also help develop that nice browned outside.
- Brush with butter, sprinkle with salt, and enjoy! Preferable with some creamy gouda cheese sauce (which just so happens to be in the recipe notes).
Notes & Tips
- While I used and prefer Trader Joe’s refrigerated fresh pizza dough, these pretzels can also be made with the canned type of refrigerated dough, such as the Pillsbury brand if you are not near to a Trader Joe’s store.
- If folding the dough into classic pretzel shape intimidates you, feel free to simplify things and shape the dough into pretzel bites. Simply cut the long ropes of dough into 2-inch long pieces and proceed with the rest of the instructions. Pretzel bites can make a great appetizer or side for a gathering!
- My recommendation to you: MAKE THE GOUDA CHEESE SAUCE. It’s seriously so good. Salty, smoky gouda cheese with a touch of sweetness from the honey.
- Pizza dough pretzels go really well as a substitute for a side of bread alongside most soups. I especially love to serve soft pretzels with Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Just as delicious with tomato soup, like this Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup with Boursin Cheese.
- Get creative and slice your classic-shaped pretzels in half to make a pretzel bun. Sandwich your favorite fixings inside and warm in the oven or toaster oven.
Storage and Reheating for Pizza Dough Pretzels
These pizza dough pretzels are absolutely the best served warm and fresh out the oven, however, they’ll keep for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat the pretzels, I recommend popping them in the toaster or a toaster oven.
Pizza Dough Pretzels
Ingredients
- 16 oz refrigerated pizza dough see note
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp salted buter, melted
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
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Set the pre-made dough out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425˚F and fill a large pot with about 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
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Place the pre-made dough on a clean countertop. Divide into four even sections. To shape the pretzels, flatten each piece of dough into a half inch thick slab with your fingers. Fold uneven edges in to form a rectangle (see photos). Then, start rolling down (the long way), pressing the dough down at the seam each time you roll the dough, to make a log shape. Using your hands, roll the log back and forth on the countertop from center to ends until it is about 16 inches long. Holding an end in each hand, lay the middle of the long rope on the counter and cross the ends (see photos). Twist the ends one more time. Now take the ends and fold them over the round part of the pretzel rope to form a pretzel shape, firmly pressing the ends into the dough with your finger tips. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and repeat with each section of dough.
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Once the pot of water is boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and slowly stir in the baking soda. You’ll want it to be simmering lightly.
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With a spider, carefully lower each pretzel into the baking soda bath. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to work in two batches. Carefully stir the pretzels to prevent them from sticking to the bottom or to each other. Let them fully soak for about 60 seconds. Gently remove them with the spider and place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet.
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Brush the pretzels with the egg wash. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until nicely browned, brushing with egg wash again about halfway through baking.
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When the pretzels are done baking, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt.
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Serve warm, as is, or with honey mustard or soft cheese dip (see notes for gouda cheese dip recipe).
Notes
- I used Trader Joe’s fresh pizza dough that comes in a plastic bag. You can find it in the refrigerated section near the cheese and deli meat. You can also use Pillsbury refrigerated Classic Pizza Crust, however, I thought that the pretzels turned out best when using the Trader Joe’s dough.
- You can also shape the dough into pretzel bites instead. Simply cut the long ropes into 2 inch long pieces and proceed with the same instructions. Keep in mind baking time may be shortened, so be sure to check them more frequently.
- For gouda cheese dip recipe: Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 oz shredded smoked gouda cheese in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once the cheese begins to melt, reduce heat to low and stir constantly. Add 2 tsp honey. Mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 2 tsp hot water to make a slurry. Add to the cheese mixture and stir well. Continue stirring until thickens and is smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
