Hey everyone! Guess what? I finally cracked the code on making the perfect Crunchy Pretzel Sticks at home! 🥨 And let me tell you, they’re not just any pretzels—they’re 100% whole grain, freshly milled goodness.
I’ve been on a quest for this recipe for what feels like forever. I’ve tried before, and while they were crunchy initially, they always turned disappointingly soft the next day. Major bummer, right?
Divine Intervention
But then, as if by divine intervention (seriously, God works in mysterious ways!), I met someone who used to work at a beloved local pretzel factory. They spilled the beans on some insider secrets that totally transformed my pretzel game.
Turns out, the dough needs to be super dry for that perfect crunch—hence the extruding method. And get this—the lye bath isn’t a bath at all; it’s a spritz! Mind blown. And after baking, a good dehydrating session ensures they stay crunchy for days. Genius!
Now, I could’ve begged for the original recipe, but I’m all about crafting something special from scratch. Plus, who knows, we might just end up with pretzels even better than the legendary originals.
The Scoop
Here’s the scoop: I use a mix of freshly milled soft white wheat and durum for that ideal crunch, though you can totally experiment with other grains like Kamut or even Einkhorn for a twist. The dough gets extruded using a pasta maker fitted with a breadstick die—perfect for those sleek pretzel sticks. Be sure you get the adapter if your pasta extruder needs one. Mine did!
After that, it’s all about the wet ingredients—honey (or barley malt syrup), extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of water or mustard. Trust me, it’s a combo you’ll want to stick with (pun intended!).
Once they’re extruded, it’s onto a parchment-lined pan, a hearty spray of baking soda mixture, a sprinkle of sea salt, and into the oven they go. After baking, a little dehydration ensures they’re as crunchy as can be—ideal for road trips or beach days.
And voilà! You’ve got yourself a batch of homemade pretzel sticks that are slightly sweet, perfectly salty, and totally wholesome. Want them without any sweetener? Just swap in extra virgin olive oil and water—easy peasy.
Don’t have a dehydrator? No problem. Your oven can finish the job, at it’s lowest temp – just keep an eye on them.
So there you have it—a real mom win that’s sure to satisfy your snack cravings in the best possible way. Can’t wait to hear how your pretzel adventures turn out!
Crunchy Fresh Milled Pretzel Sticks
Equipment
- Philips Avance Pasta Extruder can also use the Philips Compact (viva)
Ingredients
- 60 g olive oil I use Kasandrino's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 120 g barley malt syrup honey will also work well
- 80 g water
- 300 g wheat berries, soft white soft red would also work well
- 100 g wheat berries, Durum kamut would also work here
- 12 g baking powder 1/2 tbsp
- 12 g sea salt, celtic grey
Baking Soda Wash
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Mill the grains into flour.
- Preheat oven to 450 F convection
- Add baking powder and salt to the flour
- Measure the remaining ingredients (olive oil, barley malt syrup, and water) into a small measuring cup or jar, mixing to combine.
Extruding Pretzel Dough
- Remove the front face of the exturder, and place the Grissini die into the adapter for your pasta maker, attaching it to the extruder. Put the pasta machine back together.
- Add the dry mixture to the mixing container of your pasta extruder
- Turn on your pasta extruder and pick the larger batch size. Press the Play button.
- Add the wet mixture through the well on the top lid, which lets the ingredients slowly mix together.
- Once the extruder stops and changes direction, turn off the machine and then turn it back on again.
- Select the big batch size, and press the play button.
- As the dough extrudes, cut the dough to the length you prefer.
- Set the dough on a parchment lined tray, with space between the pretzel sticks. If they are curled at the ends, gently roll them on the pan and they will straighten out.
Baking Soda Wash
- Mix together the water and baking soda in a spray bottle.
- Heavily mist the pretzel dough until it is wet on top. Sprinkle the top with pretzel salt or coarse sea salt. Alternatively, you could use a pastry brush and heavily brush the tops with baking soda – but a sprayer will work best.
- Place the sheet into the oven, and bake for 8 minutes or until as dark as you like.
- They will harden slightly as they cool (but will soften if you put them into a container or bag unless you dehydrate them to take out the excess water).
Stay Crunchy Pretzels
- Dehydrate the pretzel rods at 125 F for a few hours until crunchy when you snap it in half. I put mine in around 2:30 pm and when I got home around 7 pm they were crispy.
- Store in a plastic bag until ready to eat. These should keep for several weeks if you dehydrated them until fully dry – but they won't last!
Video
Notes
water for mustard (we enjoyed spicy mustard) They were delicious and STILL were delicious dipped in dressing, but were excellent without dip. My six year old chose these as the clear winner over plain pretzels. To make honey mustard pretzels similar to ones from the store: After baking, coat the pretzel sticks in the honey mustard sauce, and spread onto a dehydrator tray single layered. Dehydrate until pretzels are crispy and the outside has dried. These pretzel sticks are crunchy, but not break your teeth crunchy.
These are so easy and addicting. Slightly sweet, super crunchy, and my kids and other half loved them. I did one batch with barley malt syrup and another with honey and mustard like you said in the notes. They decided pretzels were dinner. Not sure I agree on that, but I’ll have to make multiple batches next time.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing. Celebrate those easy mom wins!
Would that dehydrating trick work for crackers that don’t seem to stay crunchy past a couple days?
It sure does! I often do that if I’ve baked to my liking and want them to stay that way.