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Cardamom Pretzel Twists

Salty pretzel dough, cardamom cinnamon-sugar, and melty butter come together in these Cardamom Pretzel Twists. It’s a match made in heaven! Auntie Anne’s eat your heart out.

  • Yield: 8 pretzel twists 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pretzel dough:

  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the baking soda bath:

  • 6 cups water
  • 1/3 cup baking soda

For the cardamom sugar:

  • 4 tbsp salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom

Instructions

  1. Make the pretzel dough. In a large mixing bowl, stir together active dry yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar. Cover with a dishtowel and let sit for 10-15 minutes. The mixture should have a layer of foam at the top at this point. Add flour and salt and mix together with a dough hook or spatula until a shaggy mass forms. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook or with your hands, knead the dough for about 5 minutes on medium, until a cohesive ball comes together and when poked, the dough bounces back slightly. Add water or flour 1 tbsp at a time if needed until the dough comes to the right consistency.
  2. Turn the dough out into a generously oiled, large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 1-2 hours at warm room temp, until doubled in size.
  3. In a large saucepan, create a baking soda bath by mixing 6 cups of water with baking soda and bringing the water to a boil.
  4. Turn out your proofed dough onto a well-floured surface. Shape your dough into a roughly 12 inch-long horizontal rectangle by pulling and patting. Using a dough knife, separate the rectangle into 8 equal vertical pieces. Take each piece and roll into a snake about 12 inch in length. Pinch the ends of the snake together, twist the dough, and tuck the sealed ends under.
  5. Drop each twisted piece of dough in the baking soda bath for 20 seconds. The dough will sink, then float by the time it needs to be taken out. Remove with a slotted spoon and shake the excess water off before placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  6. Make your cardamom-sugar by mixing together sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour out half this mix onto a plate.
  7. Bake twisted and boiled dough pieces at 400 degrees F for 8-12 minutes, until they begin to brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
  8. Baste the top of each pretzel twist generously with melted butter. Place the twist buttery side down onto the plate with cardmom sugar, Baste the back of the twist with butter, and flip over to coat the other side. Spoon on the extra cardamom sugar to cover the front side evenly as needed. Serve warm!
  9. Store these pretzel twists in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days.

 

Notes

  • The baking soda bath imparts that classic pretzel taste and brown, shiny finish. Make sure not to leave the pretzel twists in the bath longer than 30 seconds max, or they will have a strong metallic taste.
  • For tips on proofing dough, see my Tips +Tricks page.
  • You can adjust the amount of cinnamon and cardamom in the cardamom sugar to your preferences. I like A LOT of spice, so this recipe is definitely cardamom-forward.
  • You can make this dough the night before up to step 2, and allow to proof covered in the fridge overnight. In the morning, leave at warm room temp for 1 hour to allow it to come to temperature before shaping your twists.
  • Author: Caroline Crockett