Air Fryer Soft Pretzels Recipe: A Deliciously Twisted Air Fryer Pretzel by 30Seconds Food

With so many air fryers in kitchens across the country now, air fryer recipes are in hot demand. Did you know you can cook bread in this magic machine? We think you need to make these soft air fryer pretzels ASAP for your family!

Warm water, active dry yeast, granulated sugar and olive oil are mixed together and allowed to bloom for five minutes. Then stir in all-purpose flour or bread flour and kosher salt to form a dough. The dough is kneaded for about five minutes, then separated into individual balls. The balls are formed into pretzels, brushed with an egg wash and air fried for about six to seven minutes. Simple!

Serve these soft pretzels with a cheese sauce for dipping. You could also make garlic butter pretzels by brushing a garlic butter on them instead of an egg wash before cooking. How about sweet pretzels? Make cinnamon-sugar pretzels by omitting the sea salt on top and sprinkling with ground cinnamon and sugar.

Don't have an air fryer? No worries! Bake the pretzels on a baking sheet in a traditional oven at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until golden. Store the pretzels in an airtight container. You can also freeze the pretzels for up to three months. To reheat, thaw and then bake at 350 degrees F for about 2 minutes.

If you like this air fryer pretzel recipe, try this air fryer cheesy garlic crescents recipe and air fryer garlic bread recipe.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 105 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (more if needed)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• sea salt
• poppy seeds and sesame seeds (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Stir together the warm water, yeast, sugar and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes. 
2. Stir in 3 cups of the flour and the kosher salt. Use an electric mixer with a dough attachment or wooden spoon to mix until it forms a ball of dough. Put the dough onto a floured work surface.
3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until it is no longer sticky, adding a little more flour if needed. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into eight pieces (16 total).
4. Roll the dough balls into ropes about 18 inches long. Form into a U shape, twist the ends and fold the ends over to form a pretzel shape. 
5. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the formed pretzels with the egg wash. Put the pretzels into the air fryer, leaving space between them (you will have to do this in batches). Sprinkle with some salt and poppy seeds or sesame seeds, if using. 
6. Air fry the pretzels at 370 degrees F for about 6 to 7 minutes or until golden. Remove to cool. Repeat with remaining pretzels. 

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