Go Back
Auntie Anne's copycat soft pretzels, golden and buttery

Auntie Anne's Pretzels (Copycat Soft Pretzels)

Soft, buttery, mall-style soft pretzels with a chewy golden crust, finished with melted butter and your choice of pretzel salt or cinnamon sugar.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 pretzels
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough:
  • 1½ cups warm water about 110°F
  • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons fine salt
For the soda bath:
  • 4 cups warm water
  • ¼ cup baking soda
For the topping:
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
  • Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
Cinnamon sugar option:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar mixed with 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method
 

  1. Stir the yeast and brown sugar into the warm water; rest 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add the flour and salt; knead 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  3. Cover and rise 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled.
  4. Divide into 8 pieces and roll each into a 24-inch rope.
  5. Shape into pretzels: U-shape, cross the ends twice, fold down and seal.
  6. Dip each pretzel in the soda bath for 20 to 30 seconds.
  7. Place on a parchment-lined tray; sprinkle the salted batch with pretzel salt.
  8. Bake at 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes until deep golden.
  9. Brush generously with melted butter; roll the sweet batch in cinnamon sugar while buttery.

Notes

Do not skip the soda bath — it creates the color, chew, and classic pretzel flavor.
If ropes spring back while rolling, rest the dough 2 minutes and try again.
Cinnamon sugar pretzels get no salt before baking; the coating goes on after the butter.
Leftovers reheat in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
Freeze baked pretzels up to 1 month; reheat from frozen at 350°F for about 5 minutes.