Soft Pretzels
These homemade soft pretzels are just as delicious as the pretzels from the mall, and so fun to make at home!
Is there anyone who doesn't love a warm, soft, buttery pretzel? They are one of my favorite treats, and I pick up a hot pretzel almost every time I visit the mall (which, I'll be honest, is not very often, since I hate crowds and buy pretty much everything online). I got addicted to them when I was in high school and worked at a department store in the mall, and walked to the pretzel shop on my breaks for a chewy pretzel dipped in cheese sauce. Yum!
These homemade pretzels taste just as delicious as those mall pretzels I love, but they're even better because they're homemade! They're actually quite simple and quick to make, and so easy that my kids can do most of the work themselves. They love rolling out the dough into long ropes, twisting it into a pretzel shape, and dipping it in the baking soda solution. They're also quite good at eating them! :)
These soft pretzels are the perfect complement to a bowl of soup, and also work great as an appetizer. I've even sliced them in half horizontally and made them into sandwiches before (totally delicious!). I like them best when they're still hot from the oven, but they will keep for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. You definitely need to give these pretzels a try!
Perfect Soft Pretzels
for the dough:
2 cups warm milk, about 110 degrees
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons salt
for topping:
1/3 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
coarse salt, to taste
4 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. When the mixture is bubbly, mix in the brown sugar, butter, one cup flour, and salt, and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour, one cup at a time, and mix until a smooth and slightly sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise about one hour, until doubled in size.
After the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 450. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the dough into twelve equal sized pieces, and roll each piece into a long skinny rope. Twist into a pretzel shape. In a medium bowl, mix together the warm water and baking soda until dissolved. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and place on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 7 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
adapted from Cooking Classy
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