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Pretzel Bread Loaf

This homemade pretzel bread loaf won't fool you into thinking it's a pretzel. But it is perfect for deli sandwiches with just a smidge of mustard.

Total Time
8 hrs
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 158 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

Sponge
  • 1 cup (125 grams or 4.4 ounces) bread flour
  • ¼ cup powdered milk or sub ½ cup scalded milk
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup sub brown sugar
  • 1¼ cup (283 fluid milliliters or 10 ounces) warm water plus additional, as needed
Pretzel bread
  • 3 cups (375 grams or 13.2 ounces) bread flour plus additional, as needed
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil plus more for greasing the bowl
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
Baking soda bath
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
Egg wash
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon pretzel salt or other coarse salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine the ingredients for the sponge (1 cup flour, powdered milk, yeast, honey, malt syrup, and water) in the bowl of your mixer or in a medium sized mixing bowl.
  2. Over the top of the sponge, add the remaining bread flour and yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let the bowl sit in a warm place until the sponge is bubbling through the flour cover, about 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Mix the dough using the paddle attachment of your mixer until it starts to come together. Then add the oil and salt and switch to the dough hook for your mixer.
  4. Knead the dough using the dough hook for 7 to 8 minutes until it is soft and smooth and can be stretched without tearing. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky, so you may need to add a bit more flour or water during the kneading process.
  5. Shape the dough into a boule and place it in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  6. When the dough has doubled in size, grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan.
  7. Prepare the water bath by whisking together the boiling water and baking soda in a glass loaf pan or baking dish. Let cool enough so you don't burn your hands, then form the dough into a loaf and roll it around in the baking soda bath to cover it completely.
  8. Carefully, because it will be a little slippery, put it seam side down in the prepared loaf pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and again let it rise in a warm place until it has risen about one inch above the sides of the pan.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  10. While the oven is preheating, lightly beat the egg for the egg wash. Brush it all over the top of the pretzel loaf, being careful not to get too much wash along the edge of the pan, which will cause the loaf to stick. If you like, use the tip of a sharp knife to cut shallow, diagonal slashes about 1 inch apart.
  11. Sprinkle the top liberally with the coarse salt.
  12. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the internal temperature of the loaf is 185 to 190°F. The crust should be a beautiful deep brown and the bottom of the pretzel bread will give a hollow sound when you thump it.
  13. Let cool for at least one hour prior to slicing.

Notes

  • On very warm days or in a warm house, consider reducing the yeast to use one half teaspoon in your starter and loaf.
  • You can substitute a half-cup of milk if you don't have powdered milk. You'll want to scald it - bring it just warm enough to see tiny bubbles at the edge of the pan - so that the milk proteins don't interfere with the yeast.
  • You can swap out 1 cup of bread flour for whole wheat flour without much impact on the loaf.
  • This pretzel bread loaf will remain fresh for several days at room temperature. However, the salt on top may start to dissolve into the bread after a couple of days, so this pretzel loaf is best eaten fresh or sliced and frozen after cooling. To use your frozen pretzel bread, just pop it into the toaster.

Nutrition Information

Calories 158kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 12mg (4%) Sodium 873mg (36%) Potassium 77mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 34IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 26mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 158

% Daily Value*

Calories 158kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 873mg 36%
Potassium 77mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 34IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 26mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.