As promised, homemade soft pretzels simplified! Just a week late...
Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature
3 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 3/4 cups of flour
1 3/4 teaspoons of salt
olive oil, for spraying the pretzels
2 quarts of water
3 tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg yolk mixed with 2 teaspoons water, for the glaze
kosher/coarse salt, sesame, poppy seeds or cinnamon sugar, for topping
Directions
- To make the dough, pour water into bread maker. Sprinkle in yeast and let sit for approximately 5 minutes, while yeast activates. Add in butter, flour and salt.
- Set bread maker to dough setting and start. Dough will rise in bread maker.
- Place dough on lightly floured surface and divide into 14 equal portions. On an un-floured surface, roll each dough piece out to form a 16-inch-long rope. Set aside and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough sit for 5 minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. Starting with first rope rolled, re-roll each rope into a 16-inch rope and twist into a pretzel: Cross ends of rope and twist together. Shape into pretzel and attach ends to rounded bottom securely. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels and let stand for about 10 minutes, until they look puffy.
- Spray pretzels lightly with olive oil mister. Bake or freeze.
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to boil over high heat. Mix egg glaze.
- Place a few pretzels at a time in boiling water, 30 seconds per side. Remove and place on baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart. Lightly brush pretzels with the egg glaze. Sprinkle with topping of your choice.
- Bake until pretzels are puffed and browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
- Devour by themselves or with dip of your choice!
-xo Emily
Recipe modified from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook