History

The Philadelphia soft pretzel arrived with German and Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants in the 17th century and was reshaped by South Philly Italian bakers in the 20th. The local pretzel is flatter, denser and saltier than the German original, twisted into a hand-rolled figure-eight rather than the standard knotted shape. Sidewalk vendors and elementary-school pretzel days made it a Philadelphia birthright. Federal Pretzel Baking Company opened in 1922 on South 4th Street and still operates; Center City Pretzel Co. in South Philly bakes round-the-clock. The standard order is a soft pretzel with a stripe of yellow mustard down the middle, eaten while walking.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 35 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g strong bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 5g instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 300ml warm water
  • 2 litres water for the dipping bath
  • 60g bicarbonate of soda
  • Coarse pretzel salt or sea salt for topping

Method

  1. Mix flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a stand mixer. Add butter and water, knead 8 minutes on low until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove 60 minutes.
  2. Heat the oven to 220C (425F). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
  3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, roll each into a 50cm rope. Form a figure-eight by twisting one end across the other and pressing both ends down. Flatten slightly with your palm.
  4. Bring the 2 litres of water to a simmer with the bicarbonate of soda. Drop two pretzels at a time into the bath for 30 seconds, fishing them out with a slotted spoon onto the prepared trays.
  5. Shower generously with pretzel salt. Bake 16 to 20 minutes until deep mahogany. Serve warm with yellow mustard.

Tip from the editors. The figure-eight is the Philadelphia shape. Two flat loops, not a knot. Keep the dipping water at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.

Where to eat philadelphia soft pretzel

Philadelphia soft pretzel in Philadelphia

Center City Pretzel Co. ★ 4.1

$ German

Center City Pretzel Co. Order the soft pretzel with mustard. Open year-round, weather permitting. A reliable choice for first-time visitors.

TrySoft pretzel with mustard

Directions

Reading Terminal Market ★ 4.8

$ Market

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia is the 1893 enclosed public market under the old Reading Railroad train shed at 12th and Arch, with 80 vendors.

Directions

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