What do you get when you mix Greek yogurt, self-rising flour, and a little kitchen magic? Soft, chewy, and Easy Pretzel Bagels that taste like your favorite mall pretzel - without boiling, yeast, or the parking lot stress! This easy recipe is perfect for beginners or anyone who dreams of a salty, golden crust and pillowy center… in less than an hour.
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The idea for these Easy Pretzel Bagels hit me-literally-on the New Jersey Turnpike. We stopped at a service area (rest stop) and I got one whiff of that buttery Auntie Anne's pretzel aroma and BOOM I was hooked. I went home and started making pretzels with my two-ingredient dough, but somehow they turned into bagels… and honestly? I'm not mad about it.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
The ingredients are pretty simple, and pretty affordable, so I think we're going to have a good time. I'll go over the major players and how you can make changes if you need to:
- Greek yogurt - You'll need thick Greek yogurt to make this dough behave. Regular yogurt is too thin and will make you dough too wet. I like to use full-fat for the best texture, but nonfat works too. No Greek yogurt on hand? Sour cream will do in a pinch, or you can even try pretzeling my cottage cheese bagels for a fun twist.
- Self-rising flour - Don't have self-rising flour? No problem. Just whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and you're good to go!
- Brown sugar - I add brown sugar to my self-rising flour because it helps with the browning process, but mostly it helps to give your pretzel bagels an authentic pretzel flavor. Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, both work fine, or you can leave it out entirely if you prefer.
- Pretzel salt - Not too many grocery stores carry pretzel salt, so I buy mine online. If you can't find it, you can use a course grain kosher salt or flaky sea salt. Actually, you don't have to use salt at all. You can sprinkle your pretzel bagels with poppyseeds, everything bagel seasoning, or just leave them plain if you are trying to watch your salt intake.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Why the Baking Soda Bath?
Traditional Bavarian pretzels get their deep color and signature chew from a food-grade lye solution, which is highly alkaline (the opposite of acid 🧪 and not exactly pantry-friendly (gloves and goggles are recommended and that already screams danger to me ⚠️).
Baking soda is a much safer at-home alternative that mimics the effects of lye during baking. By pre-baking the baking soda before dissolving it in water, you increase its alkalinity, making it even more effective at giving your soft pretzel bagels that classic golden crust and pretzel-y flavor.
Most traditional pretzel recipes have you boil your shaped pretzels in a baking soda bath. Our two ingredient dough not only doesn't require boiling, the boiling process actually makes the texture of the bagel gummy, which nobody wants. After much experimenting, I found that just dipping them into a baked baking soda solution works perfectly!
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
I think you're going to be amazed how simple this recipe is. Prepare your baking soda bath, make your pretzel dough (don't be afraid, beginners make my 2 ingredient bagels all the time!), dip them, and bake. How easy is that? (Sorry Ina)
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Pour your baking soda onto a sheet pan lined with aluminium foil and bake for one hour. Carefully pour the baking soda into a large pot or bowl filled with 4 cups of cool water. Whisk until mostly dissolved. Turn the oven up to 400°F.
Step 2: Combine self rising flour and brown sugar in another large bowl and whisk until combined.
Step 3: Add in Greek yogurt and begin mixing it into the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Continue mixing, pressing the Greek yurt into the dry ingredients to combine. You will end up with a shaggy dough with very little or no dry pockets left on the bottom of the bowl
Step 5: Dump the bagel dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for one to 2 minutes, or until you get a relatively smooth ball. (you can also do this in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the dough hook) If you have time, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Divide into eight pieces of dough and shape each piece into a ball.
Step 7: Use the flat palms of your hands and your fingers to roll each ball out into a rope about 10 to 12 inches long (see video above to watch me roll).
Step 8: Join the ends gather and pinch and roll until the seams are closed.
Step 9: Two at a time, dip your bagels into the baking soda and water bath for about 15 to 20 seconds per side and then place on a parchment paper lined large sheet pan. (I like to do four bagels per lined baking sheets)
Step 10: Sprinkle the tops with pretzel salt (remember who you're making these for and add as much salt as you prefer). Place one baking sheet in the top of your oven and one towards the bottom.
Bake: Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, swapping the sheet pan positions halfway through the baking time. Bake until your bagels have that deep golden brown, almost mahogany color. If desired, spray or brush with butter for that mall pretzel shop flavor. Let cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack before slicing, toasting, and enjoying!
Expert tip
Whether you are an experienced bagel maker, or this is your first run, I have some helpful tips to make sure that your pretzel bagels are so good that you never go to the mall, or a rest stop, for a pretzel again.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt - It makes the dough richer, easier to work with, and results in a softer, more satisfying bagel. Nonfat will work in a pinch, but the texture won't be quite as tender.
- Rest your dough - If you have time, you should cover the dough and let it rest for about 15 minutes to allow time for the baking powder to get started and for the flour to fully hydrate.
- Don't skip the baking soda wash - The baking soda wash is what gives that signature pretzel look and flavor. It deepens the color and gives you that glossy, golden crust. Otherwise you're just making bagels, and that's not bad, but that's not why you came here. And don't skip the step of baking the baking soda-it helps mimic a lye solution safely and effectively!
- Store with a little breathing room - Because these are topped with salt, it's best not to store them fully airtight. Keep them in a container with the lid slightly ajar, or leave a small corner of a zip-top bag unsealed. This keeps the salt from melting into the bagels and turning them soggy.
Recipe FAQs
Let bagels cool completely, then store in an loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. To freeze, slice in half and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil or a zip-top bag for up to 1 month.
Carefully slice your bagels in half and toast them as you would any other bagel. You can also warm in a 350°F oven until heated through and edges are toasty. Perfect with mustard and ham, melty cheese, or just a swipe of
butter or cream cheese.
Did you try this recipe?
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I appreciate it so much!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Easy Pretzel Bagels (Two ingredient Dough Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
For pretzel wash
- ½ cup (125 g) baking soda
- 4 cups cool water
For bagels
- 3 cups (375 g) self rising flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups (480 g) Greek yogurt
- Pretzel salt
Instructions
- Prep the baking soda wash Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and evenly spread out the baking soda. Bake for 1 hour (this step turns your baking soda into a stronger, more effective pretzel wash).
- Whisk the baked soda into 4 cups of cool water in a large bowl until fully dissolved. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
- Make the dough In a large bowl, stir together the self-rising flour and brown sugar. Add the Greek yogurt and stir together until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Cover with a kitchen towel and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape the bagels Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 10 to 12 inches long, then pinch the ends together to form a ring. Press the seam gently to seal.
- Dip in the baking soda wash Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, gently dip each bagel into the baking soda wash for 15 to 20 seconds per side, letting the excess drip off. Place on the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining bagels.
- Add that salty topping While the bagels are still wet, sprinkle with pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt.
- Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bagels are puffed and deeply golden brown. Spray or brush with melted butter while still warm if you want that authentic mall pretzel flavor.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Cynthia Christensen says
Have I made four batches of these bagels in the past week because everybody wants me to share them with them? Yes! They're that good!