Shake it up, baby, twist and shout

     Making soft pretzels has been on my agenda since last September. Why it took my eons to make still eludes me. The process is very similar to that of making bagels, except...you only have to proof once! Glory day. I dabbled with the idea of making a few different variations i.e. I'm fat and wanted all the carbs, but in the end decided to stick with a traditional recipe for the first round. Understand, there will be victory rounds, right after I buy more yeast.


Soft Pretzels with Sea Salt

     Now that's some hangry yeast. To get it this mad, add the yeast and tsp of sugar to the 1 1/4 cup of water that has been heated to 110 F. It's good to note that colder water may not "wake up" the yeast and water that is too hot may actually kill the little critters. Let this mixture sit for ten minutes.

     In the meantime, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the oil, immediately followed by the yeast mixture and give that dough a good what for.

After you've kneaded the dough for 7-8 minutes, transfer the mass to an oiled bowl and cover with a moist tea towel. Store the dough in a warm place for an hour. The dough should have doubled in size. Look at that monster.

This recipe specified that 12 pretzels should be made with this amount of dough. If you're exceptionally skilled at math like I am, you'll have already figured out how to karate chop this dough into 12 lil twists of joy.

*DISCLAIMER* I may have struggled more with this division than I should have.

Now the fun part. After you roll the portioned dough into ropes you can either cut them into nuggets or shape them traditionally. Prior to this process, you want to bring four cups of water to a boil for the pretzels to take a dunk in.

When the last pretzel is shaped, add the baking soda to the water and give each pretzel a bath. After each pretzel gets some spa time (30-60 sec.), place them back onto the baking sheet and add a bit of an egg wash to the top. This recipe did not call for one, but I was feeling bold and fresh. To make an egg wash, simply scramble an egg with a few tablespoons of water. Use a brush to reach every last twist. Add a coarse salt to the pretzels before they go into the oven.

These definitely poofed a lot more than I thought they would; for this reason, I would probably roll my ropes thinner next time. These pretzels should be enjoyed with mustard, cold beer, and good friends. 

Recipe

(adapted from the blog "Chocolate, Chocolate, and More")

450 F 8-10 min

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F.)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
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