» This article is about the baked good. For other uses, see pretzel (disambiguation). A pretzel is a baked good that's traditionally twisted into a unique knot-like shape. The pretzel dough is made from wheat flour, water, brown sugar and yeast. Prior to baking, it's dipped into a sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solution and sprinkled with coarse salt, which gives it a glazed look. During baking, a Maillard reaction then gives the pretzel its c… (More on Pretzel)