When it’s a chilly Sunday afternoon and you know that there will be three teenage couples at your house to watch their favorite team’s football game, you need to have snacks on hand.  Actually, most Sundays we like to have snacks on hand, regardless to whether we’re having company.  However, when three of the six teens also happen to be members of the high school football team, you realize that you need to have a decent amount of snacks available.  Some chips and dips and a veggie tray won’t cut it.

So, in addition to a tray of fruit and buffalo chicken sausage, I decided to make homemade pretzels.  I’ve had good luck making bagels, so pretzels seemed like an easily conquered recipe.  I served the pretzels with three different dipping options:  blue cheese dressing, mustard, and a bacon and cheddar cheese sauce.  Not surprisingly, the cheese sauce was the most popular.

Although this recipe requires a few steps, it really isn’t difficult.  The two-step cooking process of boiling then baking is simple.  When it’s done, you have pretzels with a chewy exterior and tender interior.  They’re just as good as the pretzels that you would get from a vendor at a street fair.  These definitely are worth trying on a lazy afternoon.

Soft Pretzels

2014-09-23 05:26:39

Yields 12

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Prep Time

1 hr 30 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 45 min

Prep Time

1 hr 30 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 45 min

Ingredients

1. 4 – 4-1/2 cups flour
2. 2-1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
3. 1 tablespoon sugar
4. 2 teaspoons salt
5. 1-1/2 cups warm water
6. 4 tablespoons butter, melted
7. oil, olive or canola
8. 1/2 cup baking soda
9. 1 egg
10. Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Combine 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook on low speed.
2. Increase to speed 2, adding flour until dough clings to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing for an additional 4 minutes.
3. Remove dough from bowl, lightly coat sides of bowl with oil.
4. Return dough to bowl, and turn once so that the top side of the dough is coated with oil.
5. Cover and place in a warm location to rise for an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 450.
7. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and coat lightly with oil or cooking spray.
8. Fill an 8-quart stock pot halfway with water and add baking soda.
9. Bring to a boil.
10. While water is heating, divide dough into 12 pieces.
11. On a well-floured surface, turn each piece of dough into a rope, approximately 1 foot in length.
12. Twist into a pretzel shape, pressing firmly on the ends to secure the pretzel.
13. When water is boiling, place one pretzel (you may be able to fit two at a time in the pot) in the water and boil for 30 seconds.
14. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
15. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
16. Whisk egg, and brush each pretzel top with egg.
17. Sprinkle salt on each.
18. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dark golden brown.

By Michele Pesula Kuegler

Think Tasty https://www.thinktasty.com/