I love pretzels. I can't remember the last time I had them. It never occurred to me to make them myself so when I saw this recipe and it looked easy I thought why not? If the kids like them even better but at least I'll probably like them.
The dough was really easy to make. I was surprised when it rose so much so quickly. I have always had yeast-fear... You know, expecting it not to rise. I also remember when my mom let me eat raw dough and it rose in my stomach - that did NOT end well for anyone! 🙊
The dough went from this:
To this:
Here are the ingredients:
1½ cups warm water (like you'd bathe a baby in!)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
4 ½ cups plain flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I used salted because its what we have - my husband loves his salt!)
Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl
Have ready:
egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
So the dough is ready to go and now the water with baking soda is boiling. Here you see: 10 cups water and 2/3 cup baking soda in a stock pot.
I found these great pretzel tying instructions - and promptly messed it up and tried again until it just magically came together! I did start with a long piece of dough, about 24" ... The instructions said 60cm long so there, I did the conversion for you! Because I was completely stumped, doing the "okay, there are 2.5 centimetres in an inch" before turning to my phone conversion app. What did we do before these devices? I guess the longer way I was just explaining.
So, I had a two foot long piece of dough, in u shape, laid the bottom of the u on the counter, crossed the two ends - I crossed them twice, I found it held together better that way when I boiled it.
Take the slotted spoon and lower the pretzel shaped dough into the water. Let it boil for about 30 seconds and use the slotted spoon to take it back out again. Put it on the cookie sheet lined with baking paper. I used parchment paper - can someone please tell me if that's not the same thing?
Insert picture I forgot to take here of pretzels, post-boil, pre-bake stage! 😳
Once as many as you're going to make now are boiled and on the baking sheet, dip a pastry brush in your egg wash and coat your pretzels - yum! Now salt those tasties up! Oh yes indeed!!
So, into the oven they go for between 10 and 15 ,inutes, depending on how crispy you like the outside... These were in an oven that was a little on the hot side of the 450 Fahrenheit (230 Celsius) called for and I took them out at ten minutes. THEY ROCKED!!!
Looking at that picture I want to go have more!
Also - do you see that rainbow glow on the right side of the pretzel in the oven? I have a prism in my window and everyday I find a little rainbow somewhere new! Check out MostlyMommies on Instagram to see more of my little rainbows.
