Hi William, it sounds like you might not be using flour with a high enough protein content and/or not kneading the dough for long enough. Try using King Arthur Bread Flour, or for serious chew, use High-Gluten Flour. (The higher the gluten content, the chewier your pretzels will be.) Be sure you knead the dough until it's smooth, cohesive, and slightly bouncy to the touch. (Check out this video on our website for a visual demonstration of what that looks like.) If you take these steps, your pretzels should hold up well during the baking soda bath. Good luck and happy baking! Kye@KAF

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