These delicious salted knots of bread with a little spicy mustard are an essential part of going to a baseball game. There was no way Molly was not going to share that experience. Since the pretzel shape is a little delicate, it takes a little practice to flip them into the boiling water without unraveling the shape.
Soft Pretzels
These delicious salted knots of bread with a little spicy mustard are an essential part of going to a baseball game. There was no way Molly was not going to share that experience. Since the pretzel shape is a little delicate, it takes a little practice to flip them into the boiling water without unraveling the shape.
Nutrition
Ingredients
Method
- In a small mixing bowl mix the yeast, flour and water until combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and preferably let sit overnight in the fridge to allow the yeast to slowly work its magic. If there are time constraints, make the starter with warmed water (110 degrees) and cover, letting it rise for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the starches, Metamucil, xanthan gum and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix water, honey and starter together, preferably in a large liquid measuring cup. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. Mix for one minute. It will be the consistency of a very thick cake batter.
- Cover the mixer bowl with saran wrap and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The purpose here is not for the dough to rise, but to allow the liquids to be fully absorbed by the starches and make the dough more manageable to handle/shape.
- Again with the paddle attachment, mix on low to medium setting (4 on Kitchen Aid) for 3 to 4 minutes, pausing the mixing halfway to scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl. You are incorporating air into the dough which the gas from the yeast will expand, allowing for a lovely rise. As the dough mixes, it will get a little stretchy, but still stick to the sides of the bowl.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With a rubber spatula, gather the dough from the mixer bowl and place on top of a lightly starched area. Divide the dough into twelve equal portions, about 60 gm each. Roll pieces into smooth balls and cover with plastic wrap to prevent dough from drying out while you are shaping.
- Roll each piece into a 20-inch-long, ½-inch-wide rope. Shape each rope into an oval and twist the ends of the rope over each other and bring them down to form a pretzel shape. Moisten the ends and firmly press into the dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet and cover in plastic wrap. Place a damp kitchen towel over the baking sheets and place pretzels in a warm spot while oven is heating (does not rise much), 15 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour 6 cups water into a 12-inch skillet, add the baking soda and sugar, stir, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, gently place the pretzels into the boiling water, top-side down (you should be able to fit 3 pretzels at a time), for 10 seconds. Using slotted spoon, remove the pretzels. Drain well and place back onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle those that you are eating today with salt. Once the baking sheet is full, place in the oven and continue with remaining pretzels. Bake for 25 minutes*, or until the pretzels are well-browned, rotating the baking sheets and turning halfway through the baking time.
Notes
TIP: * The time the pretzels take to bake is a little variable from oven to oven. I recommend taking one pretzel out and waiting two minutes before removing the rest. If it deflates a little, the remaining pretzels need an extra 5 minutes or so in the oven.
To Freeze: Take cooled pretzels and place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. To reheat, spritz frozen pretzel with water, sprinkle on salt and bake for 4 minutes at 425 degrees.
Variation: Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels In a shallow plate or pie pan, mix together ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Once the pretzels are cool enough to handle (but still quite warm), generously brush the tops of the pretzels with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. One at a time, press the buttered side of each pretzel into the cinnamon sugar and place the sugared pretzel (sugared-side up) on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Reader Q&A:
Q: What’s the best way to store the baked pretzels so you can in eat them in the next few days? A: Freeze them. Reheat in high oven (425) for about 5 minutes.
Q: When making the starter with the yeast (to put in the fridge overnight) – what temperature should the water be? Cooled? Room temperature? Warmed? A: Room temperature.
Q: Can the pretzels be made into rolls? My daughter saw pretzel rolls at a restaurant and wanted to try them. A: Yes. Follow the baking time for the hamburger bun recipe.
Q: I’ve made these a handful of times and every time they come out VERY dense, and very hard to chew. So much so that my jaws are sore after chewing 1 pretzel. I still do it because I love a soft pretzel, but I feel like I could be doing something different to make these turn out better. Suggestions?? A: Should not be dense or hard to chew at all. Could you be boiling or baking too long? Try this recipe instead: https://cookforlove.org/recipes/detail/99836
— Brenda
To Freeze: Take cooled pretzels and place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. To reheat, spritz frozen pretzel with water, sprinkle on salt and bake for 4 minutes at 425 degrees.
Variation: Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels In a shallow plate or pie pan, mix together ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Once the pretzels are cool enough to handle (but still quite warm), generously brush the tops of the pretzels with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. One at a time, press the buttered side of each pretzel into the cinnamon sugar and place the sugared pretzel (sugared-side up) on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Reader Q&A:
Q: What’s the best way to store the baked pretzels so you can in eat them in the next few days? A: Freeze them. Reheat in high oven (425) for about 5 minutes.
Q: When making the starter with the yeast (to put in the fridge overnight) – what temperature should the water be? Cooled? Room temperature? Warmed? A: Room temperature.
Q: Can the pretzels be made into rolls? My daughter saw pretzel rolls at a restaurant and wanted to try them. A: Yes. Follow the baking time for the hamburger bun recipe.
Q: I’ve made these a handful of times and every time they come out VERY dense, and very hard to chew. So much so that my jaws are sore after chewing 1 pretzel. I still do it because I love a soft pretzel, but I feel like I could be doing something different to make these turn out better. Suggestions?? A: Should not be dense or hard to chew at all. Could you be boiling or baking too long? Try this recipe instead: https://cookforlove.org/recipes/detail/99836
— Brenda
