Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/24272/buttery-soft-pretzels/
I love how easy this recipe is and you can add anything you want to it! My favourite is garlic, butter, and parsley. Mmmmm.
Servings: 16 small pretzels
Ingredients:
- 4tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 & 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Cooking spray or regular oil (for greasing bowls and pans)
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt (topping)
- + any other toppings you would like
Directions:
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar in 1.25 cups of warm water. Mix well (no clumps) and set aside for ~10mins until it gets creamy/foamy.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt together.
- Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the yeast mixture and gradually add in the flour mixture as you mix it together. If dough becomes too dry, add in one or two tablespoons of water. If too sticky, add more flour. Once mixed, knead the dough until smooth (7-8mins).
- Put your dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (can take 1-2hrs, depending on your conditions).
- Preheat oven to 230˚C (450˚F) and grease 2 baking sheets.
- In a bowl, dissolve 1/4 baking soda with 2 cups of hot water. Set aside.
- Once your dough is ready, divide it up into 16 equal pieces (easiest is to keep dividing the dough in half until you get enough pieces). If you want your pretzels larger, you can divide into fewer pieces. Roll out each piece into long ropes and form into pretzel shapes. (Note: these really expand in the oven, so the skinnier the rope the better!)
- After forming all the pretzels, dip each one in the baking soda/hot water mixture (2-3secs) before placing on the greased cookie sheets.
- Top your pretzels! Sprinkle kosher salt and any other ingredients you like on your pretzels (I like garlic and parsley. You can even add pizza sauce to make mini pretzel pizzas).
- Bake in the oven until brown. Should be 5-8mins.
- Optional: once out of the oven, melt some butter and brush it over your pretzels. Done!
Notes:
- The baking soda wash is what gives the pretzel the unique flavour and sets it apart from regular bread.
- You can make them into whatever shape you want. You can make them bite-sized and use with dips.
- Currywurst sauce would go great!
- Try a stuffed version: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/giant-spinach-dip-stuffed-pretzel-4659954
Abby Approved 