rantings of a single girl

If you're on a carb-free diet, I strongly suggest you step away from the screen.  This is about to become a carb extravaganza.  You can totally blame @hithatsmybike, because this one is for her.

Soft pretzels are surprisingly easy to make if you use the right ingredients.  The right ingredients are crutial.

You'll need all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, active dry yeast, and a thermometer.

Do you need the bread flour? Yes.  It contains a higher level of gluten and the pretzel dough needs that extra cup to bake properly.  (Thanks to Alton Brown for that little tid bit.)

Can you use fast-rising yeast? You can, but I really recommend using active dry.  All my bread recipes using yeast have turned out better with active dry as opposed to fast-rising.

Do you really need the thermometer? Why yes you do.  And I'll explain why next.

This is why you need the thermometer.  Whenever you use water in the recipe, it will need to be at 110 degrees.  Why?  Because yeast dies at 120 degrees.  If you can tell the difference between 110 and 120 degrees with your finger, then by all means, skip the thermometer.  I can't, so I use the thermometer.

Pour your warm water into a bowl.  Then add the yeast, brown sugar, and salt to the water.  Let it sit for just a few minutes so the yeast can reactivate.

After a few minutes, take a fork and stir together the water, yeast, brown sugar, and salt.  The bubble are good.  Promise.

Next add the all-purpose flour and the bread flour.

Now you have a few options at this point.  Option one, hand mix.  Option two, mix with a mixer then hand knead the dough.  Option three, completely mix in the mixer.  I highly recommend option one or two.  I've made this both ways now and for the pretzels, I prefer hand mixing all the way.  Do whatever works best for you.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8 minutes.  To knead dough, you want to stretch the dough foward, fold, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat.

Put the kneaded dough in a bowl that has been lightly oiled.  Cooking oil or olive will work.  Flip the dough over to make sure the entire round of dough is covered in oil.

Cover the dough with a towel and put in a warm spot. Let rise for one hour.

After an hour, your dough should have doubled in size. FYI: If you are cooking in a chilly/cold house, your dough won't rise very well.

Prepare baking soda with warm water (again, this needs to be at 110 degrees).  Stir together with a fork.  The baking soda won't completely disolve and that's okay.  Why are we doing this?  Just hang with me.

Seperate the dough into the twelve relatively equal pieces.  The dough is going to be a little sticky and that's okay.

Take a piece and roll it out into 1'-1 1/2' roll... about 1/2" thick.  You have to do this and the shaping rather quickly because the dough is 'springy' and will shrink back.  This is because of the gluten in the dough.  You'll understand what I'm talking about when you start rolling.

Shape the roll into a preztel.  These are not going to be the jumbo pretzels you see at the mall or the fair.  These are going to be about 2"x3".  Maybe a little bigger.

Dip the pretzel into the baking soda water.  This will give it a pretty sheen as it bakes.  Just like the sheen on a bagel.

Place the dipped pretzels on a lightly oiled cooking sheet (or you can use parchment paper... whatever floats your boat).  You can play around with different shapes as I did here or just go with the classic pretzel shape.  Let the pretzels rise for 15-20 minutes.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  As soon as they come out of the oven, brush with melted butter.  Mmmm, butter.

As soon as you have them buttered, add salt.  I used sea salt, but you can use kosher salt.  I don't recommend using table salt, but it would do in a pinch.  You could also use cinnamon and sugar for a sweet pretzel.  Or Parmesan cheese.  Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Don't be worried if you don't get a true pretzel shape.  I've yet to perfect it.  It's just how the dough rises and bakes.  They still taste yummy even if they aren't perfect.

Serve warm.  With mustard.  Without mustard.  Doesn't matter.  Just enjoy these yummy, yummy pretzels.

Soft Preztels

(Click here for printable recipe.)

1 package (.25 oz.) active dry yeast
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp butter, melted
1-2 tbsp coarse kosher salt or cinnamon sugar

In a large mixing bowl, add water. Test water temperature with thermometer. When it reads 110 degrees, add to bowl. Add yeast, brown sugar and salt. Let sit for a few minutes (no more than 5 minutes). Stir to dissolve. Add both types of flour and stir well.

Place dough on floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (To knead dough, press down on dough with your palm, fold the dough over and rotate 90 degrees, and repeat until dough is ready.

Grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl then turn dough upside down to coat the surface. Cover with a towel and let rise for one hour in a warm spot.

Combine 2 cups warm water (test again for 110 degrees) and baking soda in an 8-inch square pan. After the dough has risen, divide it into 12 pieces.

Roll each piece into a 1 1/2-foot rope, 1/2-inch wide. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on cookie sheets and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

Bake at 450°F. for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle with coarse salt or cinnamon sugar.

Happy baking!