A soft pretzel recipe is the kind of thing you often dream about making at home — right up until you actually read the recipe. Before you can enjoy that fresh-from-the-oven goodness, there’s a lot of preparation to go through. It’s quite an undertaking, and it doesn’t always fit into your busy schedule. Luckily, there’s an easy shortcut hidden in a pantry staple that you probably already have: canned biscuits. Forget all the hassle and skip straight to the good part: buttery and warm homemade pretzels.
It’s almost unbelievable how many clever ways to use canned biscuits there are, but soft pretzels? Who would’ve thought this was possible? And yet, they’re the key to forgoing the dough-making process. Traditional soft pretzel dough requires yeast, sugar, water, kneading, resting, and unfortunately, a whole lot of frustration if the dough doesn’t rise properly. Canned biscuit dough lets you skip these hurdles with a perfectly soft and pliable dough that’s already made and ready to be shaped and twisted.
If you’re worried about compromising the texture, ease your mind, because we also have the help of baking soda. Using the same trick that gives traditional pretzels golden-brown crust and maintains their soft interior, your biscuit pretzels remain the comforting treat you know and love.
Make pretzels and more with this easy hack
All you need to do is roll each piece of biscuit dough into a thick rope (around 12 to 15 inches long), twist it into a pretzel shape, and flash-boil in a baking soda bath for up to 1 minute after they’ve been flash-frozen. As usual, just bake until they’ve turned pillowy with a golden brown exterior. And guess what? This neat trick works with more than just regular pretzels. Got a party coming up and don’t have time for elaborate appetizers? Pretzel bites are the solution, or maybe even a pretzel ring with a dip in the middle if you’re feeling ambitious. Want something fun for game days? You won’t have to think twice about pretzel hot dog bites. Pretzel rolls, on the other hand, can be the playful twist you need for familiar dishes like sliders and burgers.
Don’t stop there when you can also whip up a dipping sauce for company. It couldn’t be easier to make a cheese sauce, sometimes with just two ingredients, so gather the essentials and stir away. You can even customize it by adding a splash of beer for game day festivities or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper inspired by nacho cheese sauce. Deliciously creamy and tangy, it perfectly matches the salty tone of the pretzels. Similarly, honey mustard and its sweet, peppery richness is exactly what you need for mouthwatering pretzels. Inching closer to the savory side, a cream cheese dip mixed with bacon, chives, and goat cheese is a sublime pick.
