Homemade Pretzels

I don't get to the mall nearly as much as I use to, but when I do, one of my favorite things to do is to get a soft pretzel while shopping.  Soft pretzels are one of those little delicacies in life that I'm not sure I can get enough of.  

So when Lee told me that he was going to make soft pretzels for the Super Bowl, I was psyched!  We did a test run the Friday before and we ate the whole batch in one night.
  

The night of the Super Bowl, they didn't last long either.  We might have a problem on our hands with this recipe.  
You'll see that there's a lot of steps, but this is really an easy thing to make up, very few ingredients, and really easy steps.  What I really love are all the different ways to make them.  We made pretzel sticks first and they came out great, crunchy and with the perfect salty taste on the outside and nice and soft on the inside.  We've also made them into rolls for sandwiches... so good! We haven't tried the traditional pretzel twist yet, but that's on the horizon for sure!   We've also tried a garlic butter on top and cinnamon sugar... all awesome!   I'm pretty sure this can't be screwed up.  
I think the worst part is how full I get after eating all of them!

Here's what you need:

Mix the melted butter, warm water, yeast and sugar in a mixer with a dough hook. Then let sit for 5 minutes for yeast to activate.

When the yeast is ready it will look like this:

Mix in the salt and flour mix in batches on low speed until combined, then on medium speed until the dough forms a ball and comes away from the bowl edges.

Take the dough ball out onto a flat surface and knead for about 2 minutes. If the dough is a little sticky just add a little more flour.

In a bowl, put some oil and rub all over.  Place your dough in the bowl and toss in the oil, making sure the dough is covered in oil on all sides.

Place a towel over your dough and place in a warm place for 1 hour to let rise.

After an hour, this is what your dough should look like.

Divide your dough into pieces and roll out to the lengths and sizes you want....the options are unlimited.

While rolling your dough, boil 2 quarts of water in a large pot.  When it comes to a boil, slowly and gradually add the baking soda, it will foam up, but if you go slow it will be okay.  Place a couple pretzels at a time into the water mixture and boil for 30 seconds, then place on a greased cookie sheet making sure they don't touch. Brush with your egg wash and top with your coarse salt. Bake at 425 for 15 - 18 minutes until golden brown.

After they come out of the oven place them on a rack to cool, I melted a stick of butter with chopped garlic and brushed the hot pretzels with the garlic butter when they came out of the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
4. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil.
5. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
7. Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
8. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. 
9. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. 
10. Roll each piece into a long rope and shape into the lengths or shapes that you want (sticks are easy and tasty).  
11. Boil the pretzels in the water solution in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. 
12. Place pretzels on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. 
13. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. 
14. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
15. Add additional toppings immediately after they come out of the oven.