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This tangy pretzel focaccia is made with no-knead dough that gets divided into 12 pieces, boiled in baking soda + water, then baked into fluffy, pull-apart focaccia.

A fluffy piece of pretzel focaccia sitting on the rest of the baked bread in a white casserole dish.

The Pretzel Focaccia I Make for Oktoberfest Every Year

Growing up in Germany, I basically lived off pretzels and schnitzel. And ever since I became obsessed with baking focaccia, I've wanted to combine that classic Bavarian pretzel flavor with my favorite bread. But I didn't just want plain focaccia with extra salt on top. I wanted the real thing: tangy, salty, and glossy, with a deep brown crust, which took a lot of testing and tweaking to get right.

Traditional German Laugenbrezeln are made with lye, which is a little scary to have in my kitchen with my toddler wrapped around my legs, so I use baking soda instead. And after a childhood of eating Brezlen at least weekly, I honestly can't taste a difference. The exterior is chewy and a little crispy, the inside is pillowy soft, and that tangy pretzel flavor shows up in every single bite. Plus this focaccia's tear-and-share style makes it perfect for an Oktoberfest party or any fall gathering!

In testing, I first tried spreading the dough in a pan and brushing it with baking soda dissolved in hot water, but that only got the crust dark golden. A second brush halfway through baking darkened it more, but it tasted bitter and metallic with all that baking soda sitting on the surface. What finally worked was dividing the dough and boiling it in batches, and baking it longer at a slightly lower temp, just like my classic German pretzels. That gave me a glossy, dark brown crust with just the right amount of tang.

If you're as pretzel-obsessed as I am, my cinnamon sugar pretzels are a fun sweet version. And for a sliceable version, my pretzel bread is perfect for sandwiches and toast. Whatever version you make, don't commit a culinary crime by dipping them in mustard! In Germany, pretzels were either served plain or with a beer cheese dip called Obatzda, so I created my easy two-minute homemade version that tastes just like the one from Oktoberfest food stalls.

A piece of pretzel focaccia sitting in a bowl of chunky cheese dip topped with chopped fresh chives.

Salt: The One Ingredient I'll Ask You Not to Swap

Salt type matters, because anything finer than pretzel salt will dissolve within a day. Extra coarse salt works in a pinch, but for the most traditional look and flavor, you can order pretzel salt online.

And go easy on the amount you sprinkle. My first test used a full teaspoon, and the top was way too salty. A quarter teaspoon is really all you need for that classic pretzel finish.

Let's Bake Pretzel Focaccia Together!

For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.

A glass mixing bowl with frothy, activated yeast in water. — 1. Activate the yeast in water.

A mixing bowl filled with frothy, activated yeast in water and olive oil. — 2. Stir in olive oil.

A sticky bread dough in a glass mixing bowl with a silicone spatula sitting in it. — 3. Mix in flour & salt. Then let the dough rise overnight in the fridge or same-day with stretch & folds.

Half a dozen balls of focaccia dough sitting on a baking sheet greased with oil. — 5. Proof the dough on a greased baking sheet.

Two hands pressing dimples into focaccia dough in a white baking dish on a wooden table. — 7. Arrange in a baking dish, dimple, & sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Two hands shaping focaccia dough into a ball near the mixing bowl with the rest of the bread dough. — 4. Once it's doubled in size, divide the dough into 12 portions and gently tuck the sides under to create balls.

Two hands lifting a boiled ball of focaccia dough out of a pot on the stove with two wooden spoons. — 6. Boil in batches in baking soda & water.

A hand dipping a torn piece of pretzel focaccia into a small white bowl overflowing with cheese dip and chives. — 8. Bake until dark brown, cool, then serve with beer cheese!

My Tips for Soft & Chewy Pretzel Focaccia Bread

This dough has a slightly lower hydration than my usual focaccia, with ¼ cup more flour, so it's easier to shape. And coat your hands lightly in olive oil when shaping, so the dough doesn't cling to you.
Since the dough is boiled, keep excess water out of the baking dish to avoid soggy bottoms. Lift each ball out with a slotted spoon, tap it against the rim of the pot to drain, then gently roll it on a dry towel to blot the surface before placing it in the greased dish.
For the classic rustic texture of German Obatzda, mix the beer cheese with a fork instead of a hand mixer to keep it slightly chunky.

Two halves of a piece of pretzel focaccia showing the fluffy, open crumb, sitting on a small grey plate.

Pretzel Focaccia with German Beer Cheese Dip

developed & tested by:

Carissa Erzen

This tangy pull-apart pretzel focaccia is made with no-knead dough that gets boiled in baking soda and baked into glossy, dark, chewy bread.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Rise Time 4

Total Time 5 15

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine German, Italian

Servings servings

Equipment

9x13 metal baking dish

Ingredients

FOCACCIA DOUGH

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1¾ cups warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4¼ cups all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)

BAKING SODA BATH

10 cups water
¼ cup baking soda
¼ teaspoon pretzel salt (see note)

BEER CHEESE DIP

8 ounces Brie cheese (or camembert)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¼ cup wheat beer (I use 0% ABV beer, to keep it alcohol-free)
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons yellow or white onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground caraway seeds (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Mix, Stretch-and-Fold, and Rise

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, granulated sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. (If it's not foamy, check your yeast packet, as it might be expired.)
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
Add the flour and salt, and mix for a minute with a large spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a soft, sticky dough.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold 1: Use your hand to scoop a handful of dough from underneath, up one side, up out of the bowl as far as you can stretch it without tearing, then fold it over itself on top. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat another stretching of the dough up and folding over itself. Repeat rotating the bowl and stretching & folding the dough twice more, until you've completed four stretch-and-folds.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold 2: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold 3: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold 4: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate for 1 hour until it doubles in size and looks bubbly on top.

Shape and Proof

Grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
Coat your hands in a little olive oil, then divide the dough into 12 equal-sized portions. Gently pull the surface of each dough ball down and pinch it at the bottom to create surface tension on each dough ball.
Arrange all the dough balls on the greased baking sheet, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let them rest and proof for 1 hour, until they puff up.

The dough is too soft to roll on the counter into a ball, so use both hands to gently stretch the surface and pull it taut into a ball. And don't skip greasing your hands, otherwise the dough will stick to you.

Boil, Bake, and Cool

Preheat the oven to 425°F (230°C). Spread 3 tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 metal baking dish and set aside. Place a clean kitchen towel on your counter (to dry the boiled pretzel buns later).
Add 10 cups of water and ¼ cup of baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove.
Transfer two proofed dough balls into the boiling baking soda bath. Boil for 30 seconds, then use a spoon to flip them over and boil for 30 seconds on the other side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot, tapping the spoon on the rim first to drain off excess water.
Gently roll the boiled dough balls on a clean kitchen towel to remove excess surface moisture, then gently transfer to the greased baking dish.

Try not to squish the dough after it's been proofed, since boiling sets the exterior and it won't puff up that much more as it bakes, so we want to retain as much air in the dough as possible.

Continue boiling, drying, and arranging the remaining dough balls in the baking dish in batches of 2-3 at a time to avoid crowding the pot.
Generously coat your fingers in olive oil and press dimples into the dough all the way to the bottom of the baking dish. Aim to have the dimples spread apart from each other by 1-inch.
Sprinkle the pretzel salt evenly on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until it's crispy and brown on top. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Make the Beer Cheese

While the focaccia cools, make the beer cheese dip. In a medium bowl, add the Brie (or camembert), softened cream cheese, and butter. Smash it together with a fork until it's pretty smooth with some small lumps still visible.
Add the beer (or non-alcoholic beer), chives, onion, paprika, optional caraway seeds, and salt. Mix everything again with a fork until it's well combined. Serve alongside the pretzel focaccia for dipping or spreading on top.

Notes

Pretzel Salt: This can be hard to find in stores, so I usually buy my pretzel salt online. Extra coarse salt will work, but it'll start to dissolve into the baked bread after a day.
Equipment: I recommend using a metal baking dish rather than ceramic or glass. It runs hotter and gives you a crispier crust on the bottom.
Overnight Rise: To make this overnight, let the dough sit out for 1-2 hours after mixing, then refrigerate the covered bowl for 8-12 hours. Skip the stretch and folds and go straight to dividing the dough. Then add 1 to 2 hours to the proof time, so the dough can warm up before puffing up properly.
Leftovers: Store fully cooled focaccia in a paper bag, like any pretzel. An airtight container keeps the crust softer but makes the salt on top dissolve faster.

Keyword pretzel focaccia

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