Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels — the perfect way to wrap up winter break for my college student! I picked my daughter up at the Phoenix airport 10 days ago.   On the drive home, she told me about the wonderful, straight from the oven pretzel she had in the Dallas airport.  Knowing that my food blogging friend, ButterYum had a great looking recipe, I suggested that we make pretzels while she was home.  It’s been a full, fun visit, and here we are approaching midnight, making pretzels as she packs for her flight tomorrow.

This is something I’d done with our Daisy Girl Scout troop many years before, so I know this can be a lot of fun for younger kids too!

Source: ButterYum

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons baking soda
2 – 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
kosher salt, to taste
cinnamon sugar (with a pinch of salt), to taste

Directions

• Add 1 1/2 cups warm water to a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle yeast over water; stir to dissolve.
• Add brown sugar and 1 1/8 teaspoons salt; stir to dissolve.
• Add flours, kneed until smooth and elastic.  (I had to add a little extra water at this point.  I may have been a little careless in measuring my flours.)
• Cover and let rise 30 minutes
• Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in a bowl.  (Keep this solutions stirred up as it’s being used.)
• Divide dough into 6 portions; roll each into a rope about 1/2 inch thick.
• Shape into 6 pretzels, and dip into the baking soda solution.
• Place on a baking sheet; allow to rise until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 450.
• Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with kosher salt or cinnamon sugar.