Fluffy Pretzels

You know that smell that hits you the second you walk past an Auntie Anne's in the mall? That warm, buttery, doughy smell that makes you feel like you need a pretzel immediately? I get it. I really do. And honestly those pretzels are delicious. But when I flipped over the bag of the frozen ones from the grocery store, I had to do a double take.

Here's what's actually in those Auntie Anne's Classic Frozen Soft Pretzels, straight from the label: enriched wheat flour, brown sugar, and a "dough conditioner" made up of gum arabic, mono- and diglycerides, enzymes, cellulose gum, guar gum, ascorbic acid, and corn-based vegetable protein. Then calcium propionate as a preservative, something called "natural flavor," and a butter packet that contains anhydrous milkfat, corn syrup solids, and more guar gum ... because actual butter apparently wasn't on the table.

And the cost? A 5-count box of frozen Auntie Anne's runs around $6–$7 at most grocery stores. That's over a dollar per pretzel for something you still have to heat up yourself.

Here's what I use to make a full batch of homemade soft pretzels from scratch: flour, water, yeast, salt, butter, baking soda, and an egg wash. That's it. Real ingredients you can actually read, and for a fraction of the cost. My kids love making these on a slow afternoon, and they come out of the oven so soft and fluffy it's honestly hard to believe something this good is this simple.

Here's the recipe! I think you're going to love it. ⬇️

Hey Kitchen Collective Members, here is your full video walk through!

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