Pretzel Dough Calculator

Soft pretzels typically use a relatively stiff dough with a hydration of 55–60%. A lower hydration (around 55%) gives a chewier, denser pretzel, while 60% produces a slightly softer crumb. Avoid going above 65% as the dough becomes too sticky to shape properly.

A standard medium pretzel uses roughly 80–100g of raw dough, which yields a finished pretzel of about 70–90g after baking. Small pretzels use around 60g of dough, large ones around 120g, and jumbo pretzels can use up to 160g or more.

The baking soda bath (also called lye bath — or a baking soda substitute) is what gives pretzels their distinctive deep brown crust and chewy texture. Pretzels are briefly boiled or dipped in an alkaline solution before baking, which raises the surface pH and triggers the Maillard reaction rapidly in the oven. Use roughly 50g of baking soda per liter of water for a home-safe bath.

Sourdough rye pretzels replace commercial yeast with active sourdough starter for leavening and swap a portion of bread flour for rye flour. This gives the pretzel a more complex, slightly tangy flavor and a denser, more rustic texture. The fermentation time is also longer — typically 4–8 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Yes — both work well. You can freeze shaped, unbaked pretzels (before the baking soda bath) on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Dip them in the baking soda bath straight from frozen and bake with a few extra minutes added. Baked pretzels also freeze well and reheat in an oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes.

High-protein bread flour (12–14% protein) is the standard choice for pretzels because it develops enough gluten to give the dough its characteristic chewy bite. All-purpose flour works in a pinch but produces a softer, less chewy result. For sourdough rye pretzels, mixing bread flour with medium rye flour (15–25% rye) adds depth of flavor while maintaining workable gluten structure.

Tearing usually means the gluten is too tight — the dough needs to rest. After dividing your dough into portions, let each piece rest uncovered for 5–10 minutes before rolling into ropes. This relaxes the gluten and makes shaping much easier. Also ensure your dough is not too cold — work at room temperature.

This calculator handles scaling automatically — just increase the number of pretzels and all ingredient weights adjust proportionally using baker's percentages. For very large batches (50+ pretzels), consider preparing the baking soda bath in multiple pots and boiling pretzels in batches of 4–6 to avoid crowding and temperature drop.