Arjen Robben scored twice in the first half to give titleholders Bayern a 2-0 win at home to bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig while Leverkusen recovered from their midweek Champions League mauling by Manchester United to beat winless Nuremberg 3-0.
Third-placed Borussia Dortmund also won when two Robert Lewandowski penalties in the last quarter of an hour helped them overcome Mainz 05 3-1 as coach Joachim Klopp returned to the club where he began his career.
Augsburg were held to a goalless draw at home to Hertha Berlin in the other afternoon game.
Bayern, who have won 12 and drawn two of their 14 games, lead with 38 points, followed by Leverkusen (34) and Dortmund (31).
Hoffenheim, who have the Bundesliga's second best attack with 32 goals scored and worst defence with 34 against, have already been involved in two 3-3 draws this season, won 5-1 at Hamburg SV and lost 6-2 to VfB Stuttart.
This time, they raced to a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes when Sejad Salihovic converted two penalties.
But Aaron Hunt pulled one back in the 45th minute from another penalty and Eljero Elia levelled in first-half stoppage time.
The second half was a near re-run as Kevin Volland and Kai Herdling scored within eight minutes of the re-start to put Hoffenheim 4-2 ahead, only for the hosts to blow it again.
Nils Petersen pulled one back just before the hour and Philipp Bargfrede again equalised in stoppage time.
There were also three penalties at Mainz where all the goals came in the last 20 minutes.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang curled in a superb free kick, the Gabon forward's eighth of the season, to put Dortmund ahead in the 70th minute.
Cameroon midfielder Erik Choupo-Moting levelled from a penalty four minutes later, only for Dortmund to hit back with two penalties of their own, both converted by Poland forward Lewandowski who took his season's tally to 11.
Bayern, who completed their 39th Bundesliga match without defeat, went ahead after only two minutes when Robben ran onto Mario Goetze's pass, hit the post with his first attempt and headed in from the rebound.
His second on the half hour was typical of the Dutchman as he cut inside his marker and fired a left-foot shot into the net.
Bayer showed no ill-effects from Wednesday's 5-0 mauling by Manchester United as South Korea forward Son Heung-Min scored twice and Stefan Kiessling was on target with his ninth goal of the season in an easy win over Nuremberg.
(Reporting By Brian Homewood; Editing by Justin Palmer/Alan Baldwin)
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