Soft Baked Pretzels

Last night I had a craving for a soft pretzel. You know, the kind you can get at the mall. Yum! So, I thought what a great start to my new blog...soft baked pretzels


Ingredients
4 tsp. dry yeast
1 tsp. white granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. table salt
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping (you can also use: garlic salt, cinnamon/sugar, etc.)


Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in 1 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand until it looks creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth (about 7-8 minutes). Place the dough into a clean large bowl and lightly brush on a coat of oil; turning to make sure it all gets covered. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

3.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) or start to warm you toaster oven. In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 4 cups of hot water.

4. When the dough has risen, place it onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into equal portions. Roll each piece into a rope, twist into a pretzel shape and place on wax paper. Once all of the dough is shaped, lightly coat each pretzel with the baking soda solution and place back onto the wax paper. Be sure not to use too much of the baking soda solution!

5. Bake in preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until browned. Or for about 15 minutes in a warmed toaster oven. Allow to cool. For toppings: melt some butter in a bowl big enough for a whole pretzel to fit. Dip the front of the pretzel in the butter then (on a plate) sprinkle topping of your choice.

I chose to make three different kinds: Italian parmesan, cinnamon sugar, and salt. The cinnamon sugar and salt are pretty self-explanatory but the Italian parmesan has garlic salt, italian herbs, and parmesan. Feel free to make-up your own flavors!

*recipe borrowed & altered from allrecipes.com