Homemade Pretzels

Soft pretzels are an amazing food; especially when they are homemade. Some of you might think I'm crazy-it's way too much effort to make them at home! But, I'm willing to answer a few of those lingering questions......

 Are they time consuming?  Yes.  

Are they a pain to make? If you're in the baking spirit, no. 

Are they worth it in the end? Abso- freakin'-lutely! 

4-4 1/2 c. all purpose flour 

1 packet dry, active yeast 

1 1/2 c. milk 

1/4 c. white sugar 

2 tbs. canola or vegetable oil 

1 tsp. coarse salt 

1 egg white, beaten 

1 tbs. water 

Coarse Salt, Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, etc. for later 

• In a large mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment,  stir together 3 1/2 c. flour with yeast. Set aside. 
• In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine milk, sugar, oil and salt. Stir to combine. 
• Heat mixture until it reaches 120-130 degrees. 
• Once warmed, pour milk mixture into large mixing bowl with flour and yeast. 
• Turn mixer on low power and allow dough hook to combine mixture. 
• Once combined add flour gradually to incorporate until dough begins to climb up dough hook and dough comes together. 
• Pour dough onto a floured work surface and use floured hands to knead in more flour if necessary to create a smooth, elastic, workable dough. 
• Oil a large bowl and place in a warm area of the kitchen. 
• Place dough into oiled bowl and flip once to coat. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled (1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes.) 
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Remove plastic wrap and towel and punch dough down.  Return dough to floured work surface. 
• Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes. 
• Meanwhile,  oil  2-3 baking sheets and heat a tall, large pot of salted water over high heat (eventually bring it to a boil. )
• Roll dough with a rolling pin into a large rectangle. 
• Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into several long strips ( see picture above for approximate width.) 
• Gently pull and stretch each rope to be around 15-16 inches in length. 
• Shape ropes into pretzels (look at picture above to see "twist" series.) 
• Carefully place twisted pretzels spaced apart onto prepared baking sheets. 
• Bake pretzels in oven for 5 minutes (just to get them pufffy.) 
• Remove sheets from oven and reduce temperature to 350. 
• Once salted water is boiling, use heat resistant tongs to place 3-4 pretzels into boiling water.
•  Flip pretzel after 1 minute and cook another minute. 
• Using tongs, remove pretzels from boiling water and place on plates lined with paper towels to dry. 
• Repeat process with remaining pretzels. 
• (Why boil them you ask? Briefly boiling the dough allows for the pretzels to have that unique, tuggy, chewy texture.) 
• Once pretzels are slightly cooled, return to greased baking sheets. 
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and water. 
• Using a pastry brush, brush each pretzel with egg white mixture. 
• Sprinkle each pretzel as desired with favorite toppings (salt, poppy seeds, etc.) 
• Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes until pretzels are golden. 

(Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "New Baking Cook Book" 1998 edition.)