King Arthur is one of my all-time favorite sources of inspiration and information for baking. Their recipes are written clearly and their Bakers’ Hotline always has a friendly expert on the other end, ready to answer questions. 
When I saw that this recipe for Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels took less than 2 hours, I knew I had to try baking it in our camp 16-inch Dutch oven. It really isn’t hard at all and the end result are that perfect balance between chewy and soft with a classic flavor of pretzels. You have to try it!
To show you how easy it is, check out this 3 minute video to see how quickly the dough comes together and how the soft dough is shaped into knots. The soft dough should feel like your ear lobe when you gently squeeze it. It will be tacky but not stick to your hands. It rests for 30 minutes, then sits in a baking soda bath for 2 minutes, then rest again for 10 minutes before hitting the HOT oven. This is the highest temperature I have ever tried in a camp oven that needed a huge chimney of hot charcoal. Smokin’ hot! Getting the 16-inch camp Dutch oven screaming hot 475 degrees Fahrenheit takes more charcoal than I could count… 13 in a circle underneath and as many as you can fit on the lid. Pour those hot coals on!!
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I did not preheat the big oven, so it took longer than the 8 minutes called for in the recipe. These knots took close to 15 minutes but turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. Oh, they smell divine!
These little guys are best eaten as soon as they come out of the oven and are dripping with melted butter. If there are any leftover to eat later, they are best when rewarmed, just a little bit.
Here’s the recipe:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 7/8 to 1 cup warm water (110 – 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
For the Baking Soda Bath
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
Topping
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
Prepare 16-inch camp Dutch oven with a thin layer of oil OR cut out a round of parchment to cover the bottom of the oven.
Bring one cup of water to 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Add flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a large bowl and mix together. Stir in warm water 1/4 cup at a time, adding water as needed until a soft dough forms. You may not need all of the water, depending on the level of humidity in the air. Pour dough out onto work surface and knead for about five to six minutes until dough is smooth and you can pull a ‘window pane.’
Place dough in a zip top bag that has about 1/2 tablespoon of flour inside. Distribute the flour around the dough and force extra air out, then zip top. Let dough sit for 30 minutes.
Prepare baking soda bath by bringing 1 cup of water to a boil. Pour it into a 9-inch by 9-inch dish and add baking soda. Stir until soda has dissolved. Let this come to room temperature.
Prepare the work surface by drizzling several drops of oil and spreading it around. Remove dough and gently deflate it into a disk about 10-inches in diameter. Divide into 8 sections, then divide each piece in half, creating 16 pieces of dough. Let pieces of dough rest for 5 minutes.
Roll each piece into a 8-inch long rope and loosely “tie” into a knot. (See video for demonstration.) Place 8 knots into baking soda bath and gently spoon water over the tops. Let rest for 2 minutes. Repeat.
Place knots in the prepared 16-inch Dutch oven, leaving about an inch between each knot. Sprinkle with Kosher salt. Cover with lid and let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake at 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 13 hot charcoals underneath the diameter of the oven then cover the entire lid of the oven with as many hot charcoals as possible. Bake until golden brown, between 10-15 minutes. Using a pastry brush, paint melted butter on each knot.
Enjoy!
