Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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.

167 comments:

  1. OMG! This sounds so easy and so delicious! Thanks!

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  2. Sounds delicious! Why do you boil them first?

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    Replies
    1. it's not the boiling part that's important - it's how the dough reacts with the baking soda. It's what give the pretzel that unique taste we love!

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    2. I was wondering the same thing!

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    3. I've always heard that boiling them gives them that wonderful chewy soft pretzel texture!!

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    4. If my yeast wasn't bubbling would that be a problem I'm scared the water was a little to hot from the butter!

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    5. Yes. I have killed a lot of yeast this way :(. Your dough won't rise and the texture will be very different; you can still make and eat it though. Make sure what ever you add to the yeast is only warm not hot.

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    6. OMG...made these with my granddaughter..the whole family LOVED them. We even took some mini hotdogs and wrapped them in the dough and baked them too. Delicious!!

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    7. Boiling activates the yeast. Same reason bagels are boiled before baked...

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    8. 220F degree boiling water does not activate the yeast it kills it. Yeast is activated in tepid water 90-120F. Above 120, yeast begins to die. The reason they are boiled is so that they are cooked. If you baked them the entire time, they would dry out. The reason you use baking soda in the water is so that when you put them in the oven, it browns them quicker therefore not drying them out like a hard pretzel.

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    9. Bagels are also boiled, it does help to make them soft and chewy! i look forward to trying these!

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    10. I've made this recipe a million times and its a big hit! Thank you so much. I dip them in cinnamon and sugar after baking as a sweet treat.

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    11. I'm out of butter. Can I use lard?

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  3. Making these right now thank you!

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  4. Thanks for reading, everyone! This has been one of our most popular posts, ever!
    CC, when you boil them, it gives you a softer dough. They can dry out if you don't.

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  5. OMG!!!! I just got these out of the oven and they are just wrong they are so good. My thighs hate you. LOL

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  6. Eat them all before they get cold! :)

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  7. Just made a batch, best pretzel ever, so soft!

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  8. Can you substitute Wholewheat flour?

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    Replies
    1. You can substitute PART whole wheat flour. I would do 1 cup whole wheat flour with the rest being white flour.

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  9. I want to buy a mixer with dough hooks after seeing this recipe!!

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    Replies
    1. If you already have a stand mixer, a lot of them sell the hooks separately, we've been addicted to ours lately!

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    2. This recipe pushed me to buy a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I'm going to have to make a lot of pretzels to pay for it:)

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    3. You will so love your Kitchen Aid, I know I love mine. You will also soooooo use it for soooooo much more than pretzels that it will pay for itself in NOOOO time! Enjoy!

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  10. Yes wholewheat flour can be substituted.

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  11. Just made them and am dipping them for supper in pizza sauce. EXCELLENT recipe and not near as time consuming as it looks. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Ohhh...Pizza Sauce...I have some of that in my cupboard. Looks like I'm going to have to eat another..Yum Yum!

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  12. Can you use premade frozen bread dough and get the same effect?

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm... not sure. That could be a fun experiment!

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    2. Yes, you can. Allow the frozen dough to thaw and rise, then divide, shape, boil, ect as this recipe says...

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    3. Just did this too used the bisquit dough, can't wait to try them

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  13. Can these be made without a stand mixer?

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    Replies
    1. I used a hand mixer and they came out just fine!

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  14. yes you can use just a large bowl and wooden spoon but you will get quite a workout.

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  15. The Amish people where I grew up would put cheese hot dogs inside pretzels. They're awesome.

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  16. I just made these and they are A-MA-ZING! I decided to make the dessert nuggets out of some of the dough and those too are great! This is going to be a keeper for us! Thanks for sharing! Next time I will make this a cooking project with my son.

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  17. When I made them I am not sure what went wrong... they were soggy from the baking soda dip... did I leave them in there too long? I tried some without dipping them but they were tough. The ones I dipped were soft and yummy on the inside past the weird soggy part... Any tips?

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    Replies
    1. they only need to be in the baking soda bath for 30 secs....then drain them with a slotted spoon when you take them out..Also make sure you brush them with the egg and water mixture which should help crisp them up.

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  18. I am going to try these, I am gluten intolerant and will have to use gluten free flour.

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  19. Yum!!! these pretzels are definetly delicious!!!!! Eating them right now!

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  20. Can I use a food pro to mix the dough since I don't have a stand mixer?

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    Replies
    1. I suppose you could if you have a large enough processor and the right blade attachment.

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  21. Just what I needed for tonight's dinner ;) Thank you :)

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  22. We had the kids at my daughter's 7th birthday party make soft pretzels, but there wasn't a boiling step -- I thought that was only for bagels! Must try!

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  23. Any tips for how to store them for eating later? This makes so many!! They are EXTREMELY tasty, just like Auntie Anne's!

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    Replies
    1. we put in an air tight container or ziplock.....when reheating if you would like it crisp again just warm it up for a few min's in a 400 degree oven.

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    2. after, cutting/shaping but before boiling freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once solid transfer to a freezer safe baggie to store. Thaw them when you want them again and boil, ect as the recipe states.

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  24. Wow!!! Just ate them and they are GOOD! Everyone should try these :)

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  25. What if I still have an old fashioned blender, that doesn't have all the fancy tools, like a dough hook??

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    Replies
    1. I meant mixer, not blender.

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    2. We're pretty sure it will work in a mixer or by hand as someone above did.

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  26. dont have all the ingredients to make these tonight but i will be picking up the ingredients tmrw and making the for dinner! they look sooooo good.

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    Replies
    1. We ended up buying a big thing of yeast so we can make these a lot!!

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  27. Perfect rainy Sunday afternoon activity with the kiddos! We are having fun making them, and I'm sure we'll have even more fun eating them. Thank you!!

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  28. I just made these today and they are SOOO YUMMY!! Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I'm not the best cook/baker so I didn't expect mine to turn out as good as they did but they turned out PERFECT!!! Yeah for me..:-)

    Thank you again!!!

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  29. Just made them and everything worked out until I bit into them. They're taste was off, and i cant put my tongue on whats wrong. I think i might be tasting baking soda its this kind of bitter/tarte dry taste that lingers in my mouth. Has anyone had this issue?

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    1. hmmm....we haven't experienced that before and I have made the recipe about 6 times, Not sure if it has something to do with the baking soda or not. Keep us posted.

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    2. could you possibly have used baking Powder instead of baking Soda?? just a thought.

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    3. Mine were horrible as well. They tasted sooo strong of baking soda. Is it really suppose to be 3/4 cup of baking soda? The insides were delicious, but the outsides were terrible. I had to throw the whole batch.

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    4. Yep, that 3/4 of a cup is right. Make sure its well mixed in the water and you only boil them for 30 seconds. That egg wash afterwards is important too. Wish we could pinpoint what went wrong! These are so good when they're right!

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    5. Mine came out good but there was SOMETHING missing in the dough. Not sure but I would like to try it again and hopefully adjust something to find that taste.n

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    6. Mine had the strong baking soda taste too and I followed the directions exactly. I threw mine out also. Other recipes I have seen calls for only a few tablespoons of baking soda. I used 3 quarts of water.

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    7. I followed the directions exactly and I had a slightly overpowering baking soda taste on a few but otherwise these were the bomb. I'm thinking maybe some weren't drained enough before put on the cookie sheet or possibly left in too long.

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  30. Oh my gosh, these were PERFECT!!! Even better than Weinershnitzel...(sp?) Thank you so much for sharing this! I am so happy I found you! I'll be featuring this on my blog for sure!

    Natalie
    NatSprat.blogspot.com :)

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    1. Just fyi Weinerschnitzel is german sausage so not really related. lol

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    2. she's talking about the food chain weinershnitzel that sells soft preztels... so yes it was related LOL

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  31. There is a discrepancy between the directions with the pictures and the step-by-step directions. The pictures call for only 2 qts. of water and the step-by-step call for 3 qts. Maybe people who are having trouble are only using 2 qts? Just a thought. I made these for the first time today (w/3 qts. of water) and they were gone in minutes! Absolutely delicious, although my rolling and pretzle-shaping techniques leave much to be desired. :)

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    1. I think you've solved the case! Mine had great texture...everything was spot on but there was too strong a baking soda taste. I used only 2 quarts of water. Bummer! Will have to try again with 3 quarts.

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    2. I just noticed that typo as well. Thanks for your comment, I will be using 3 quarts of water!

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  32. These were awesome! The kids had a lot of fun and we couldn't stop eating them. Thank you

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  33. When you add the melted butter in the first step, does it matter if its still hot from melting it? Mine did not look anything like yours.

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    1. if the butter is to hot it will kill the yeast. If your yeast did not bubble (a lot) then the butter was stll to hot.

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  34. Anybody know about the calories in these?

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  35. Around 146, our best guess based on the recipe making 20 pretzels.
    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size 206 g
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 146Calories from Fat 42
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 4.6g7%
    Saturated Fat 2.4g12%
    Cholesterol 17mg6%
    Sodium 2877mg120%
    Total Carbohydrates 22.5g8%
    Dietary Fiber 0.8g3%
    Sugars 1.0g
    Protein 3.4g
    Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 0%
    Calcium 1% • Iron 8%

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    1. Does anyone else see a problem with 120% of sodium in only one serving?

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    2. That's probably assuming they absorb ALL of the baking soda in the boiling water, which of course, they don't.

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  36. I found this recipe on Pinterest. I am so happy to have found your blog. I am going to try to make these soon. When you have a chance come by and check out my blog www.questfordelish.blogspot.com

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  37. Sooo, yummy! A hit with my kids! They said they taste just like the fair.

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  38. could the dough be made in a bread machine?

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  39. Can you top with cinnamon sugar? If so, do you need to change anything?

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  40. I'm gonna try these today, as buns for Brauts. Wish me luck, my sister in law is coming for supper, by the pool.

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  41. I just made these last week with cinnamon and sugar and am already making them again! So delicious! When I used the cinnamon and sugar, I brushed with butter after the baking soda soak then sprinkled equal parts cinnamon and sugar. My husband and I fought over the last one. Super yummy!

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  42. Its easier to just go to the mall and buy an actual auntie annie pretzel!!!!

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    1. Not for some people. Some people live very far away from malls and it's a huge trip
      just to get there.

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    2. For me, the nearest Auntie Anne's is an hour ride (about 50 miles). Even before adding in road construction and people who suck at driving, making pretzels myself is much easier and cheaper. :( no blue raspberry lemonade though.

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    3. Yeah, and you'll spend a minimum of 3 bucks for ONE pretzel. The ingredients are incredibly cheap, and you'll have way more than one. Cooking, in general, is not for lazy people.

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    4. we dont have any Auntie Annes in this part of the world.

      I also Live 30 miles from the nearest groc store.. :)

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  43. Can you refrigerate the dough until you want to make pretzels or do you have to make or freeze them immediately? I make a lot of types of rolls and many of the doughs can be refrigerated after the kneading of the dough and they raise while refrigerated. Also, some of the doughs can be kept in the fridge for up to five days before the dough goes bad. Also, if frozen after the raise, can you thaw overnight in the fridge or just set out to thaw and how long should I count on if I have to set it out to let it thaw?

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  44. Is it really 3 ounces of butter (6 TB) and not 3 TB? I've never seen butter listed in ounces before in a recipe. thanks.

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  45. Can you use bread flour instead of All-purpose?

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  46. Is it supposed to be 1/12 cups water? That's what I'm using and it looks like too much. In your picture it looks like 1/2 cup water with the yeast.

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    1. I thought the same thing! I used the one and a half it turned out fine. Also FYI 3oz. Of butter equals 6tbl spoons for the people out there who aren't math nerds!

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  47. Thanks so much! I made this with two children I nanny for, they had so much fun making the pretzels into unique shapes! We even made a peace sign!

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  48. I don't have a dough hook yet for my kitchen aid mixer so I mixed it in my bread machine which still worked really well...I just added the flour salt mix in gradually instead of putting it all in like you do normally, and I didn't let it run the entire dough cycle, just long enough to mix and pull from the sides of container like the directions said. :) These are very good! Thank you!

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  49. WOW. This is by far, the BEST soft pretzel recipe I have made to date. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Soft pretzels are one of my top comfort foods :))

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  50. Just made them. I was a little worried because my dough didn't look like it had risen but i made them anyways and they still taste wonderful! :) YUM

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  51. These were DELICIOUS!! I've made them twice already, and everyone loves them! Also, if your're out of plain flour, you can use bread flour instead.. they tasted just as yummy!:)

    Thank you so much for this recipe!:)

    ~Rebecca
    {Jesus Still Saves!}

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  52. Just made these, SO good! My husband loves bread and couldn't get enough of these :)

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  53. I have a daughter that is allergic to eggs. Anything else I can use to crisp them up??

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  54. I used my hands to need the dough, it worked they are in the oven and my son is also allergic to raw egg like that so i brushed it with extra butter...crossing fingers!

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    Replies
    1. Just curious how it turned out? We have an egg allergy too and I was thinking of using melted butter.

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  55. Can the dough be made in a bread machine?

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  56. There is a Sweet Jalapeno Mustard from GrandPa G's that is terrific on soft pretzels

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  57. This is almost exactly the same as Alton Brown's pretzel/modified bagel recipe.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A6feMLxUr8
    I'd watch that. At least it explains why you're boiling the dough.

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  58. I made these and I thought they were too salty! I even cut the salt and upped the brown sugar. ( I like sweet pretzels like Auntie Anne's.) These are easy and if your tastes are more toward salty things you will like these a lot!

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  59. Do you have a recipe for melted cheese to dip the pretzels in?? Like one of the ones that the pretzel stands serve?

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  60. Just made these tonight, and I don't like them as salty as they turned out, but I might just dip them in chocolate for a delicious treat!

    This was my first time ever using yeast, and I'm so super stoked that it worked!

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  61. Found this recipe on Pinterest!! Mine are finally in the oven hope they are as tasty as everyone says, I had to use a regular hand mixer and when the dough got tougher I used my hands (worked great) & I bought Cinnamon Sugar for seasoning MMMMMMM.

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  62. Wow! There are a lot of comments on here! Thought I'd never get to the end :) Just wanted to say that these look delicious! Can't wait to try them!

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  63. Does it matter if you put the baking soda in the water before boiling?

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  64. Just tried this out, and blech! I think part of our problem was the yeast not causing the dough to rise enough, which gave the pretzels a heavy, chewey texture. But, each bite all I could taste was baking soda! I used the 3 quarts of water, but the pretzels just became slimey and gross!

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    Replies
    1. Mine too. Way too much baking soda taste. I threw them out. Can't figure out why others did not have this problem???

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  65. You can use brown sugar instead of the baking soda in the boiling water, and they'll still come out really good - better, in my opinion. Also, you can freeze some of the dough after it's risen, and use it another day. I transferred mine to the fridge the morning I planned to bake them, then let them sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes before boiling and baking them. Worked really well.

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  66. These look sooo awesome! I can't wait 2 try them! :)

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  67. To people that thought they were too salty- make sure you are using Kosher salt and not table salt. 2 1/2 tsp of kosher salt is less salty than 2 1/2 tsp of table salt somehow :)

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  68. Made these last night when the party tray I ordered at Philadelphia Pretzel Factory wasn't made (jerks!). These were so much better and pretty easy to make! Thanks! I will be makeing these all the time. They were a HUGE hit at the party.

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  69. I was trying to print your lovely recipe. Is this not an option? We are on Solar power and if there is not much sun around I am still able to use if printed. Thank you for sharing but.....

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  70. Not sure what I did wrong. Mine had a very strong baking soda flavor. So much so that I tossed them out. Other recipes I have seen calls for a few tablespoons of baking soda and yours calls for 3/4 a cup. I seem to be the only one complaining of this though. If I make them again I will use less BS.

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  71. Just made mine! Delicious!

    http://diycraftymom.blogspot.ca/2012/11/time-to-bake-monday-3.html

    Thanks so much for the recipe! :)

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  72. Made these tonight. Were pretty good, except the amount of salt used is way too much! It was almost too salty! Would recommend cutting the amount in half!

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  73. Found this recipe on Pinterest, tried it out today. My niece and I had a great time mixing up the dough, and then I took over the boiling and baking.....

    She excelled at being the taste tester!

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  74. Oh my !!!! I just finished making these. I dipped them in butter and then covered them in cinnamon sugar. They are wwwwaaaaaaayyyyyy better than mall pretzels. Thank you for the recipe.

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  75. Wow!! Just made these, they are amazing!!!! Thank you! Best pinterest find yet!

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  76. If you are fond of those kind of pretzels that you find in machines at convenience stores, theaters, etc., then you will love these. However, if you are looking for a recipe similar to the pretzel shops you find in the mall, you will not appreciate these. In fact, you will probably be a little irritated you wasted so much time and ingredients making these. They were a royal pain in the butt to make. I would not suggest this recipe, unless you love machine style pretzels. I hope this helps someone and would like to suggest the creator include a "*these are not pretzel shop style pretzels" in the description.

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  77. do you have any ideas on where i could get or make the cheese sauce/dip to dip these in
    Lawrelie

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  78. So so good, very easy recipe.

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  79. Just gotta say - if you throw an (un-opened!) can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of boiling water for two hours, the milk turns into DELICIOUS caramel. Makes a fabulous dipping sauce for dessert pretzels :)

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  80. I am attempting this college-style today. Keyword: attempt.

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  81. I didn't have brown sugar, so I used honey instead. They turned out great and made for a good afternoon snack. Definitely not something I will eat everyday b/c they are too good! Thanks for the recipe.

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  82. I also made this beer cheese dip to go with the pretzels and both turned out great!

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beer-cheese-dip-recipe/index.html

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  83. I made these on New Years Eve and they were a HUGE hit! I topped some with some Italian seasoning and served those with Marinara and I topped the rest with Garlic Salt and served with mustard! Great recipe! I'll definitely be making these again.

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  84. Just made these and very very good. After boiling them in the baking soda bath, I put them on a paper towel and patted them to get all excess water off. Then transferred them to a baking sheet. They did not taste from the baking soda at all. Everyone loved them!

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  85. These were the easiest and BEST I've ever made!!!

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  86. In response to the tasting like baking soda, I noticed that the ones I made towards the end after the soda and water had been boiling for awhile had less of the taste. I think the key is to let the soda boil in the water a bit before dropping them in. And only letting them boil 30 seconds and draining good. They were a huge hit at our super bowl party! :)

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  87. It is important to get a full rolling boil and completely dissolve the baking soda (I used a wisk). I was checking the temp of my water and it started to bubble at 180 degrees but I didnt start boiling the pretzels till the water got to 212. The pretzels will sink for about a second and then rise right back to the top of the water if the water is hot enough.

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  88. Thank you so much for making pretzels look so easy to make. I've always been quite intimidated of making pretzels. They always looked like they had too many steps and would take too much time, but you've really simplified the process and made it look manageable. I made them for my husband tonight and they tasted just like the pretzels you would get at the mall. He scarfed them down. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to store them since the recipe yields way too many pretzels for just me and my husband to eat in one sitting. But I'm not complaining. I love leftovers.

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  89. Can anyone who has made these tell me...can you taste the brown sugar? I want to make the salty version (rather than a sweet one ) and wondered if it's noticeable!

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    Replies
    1. I haven't made these, but I make a lot of bread. I don't think you would taste that small amount of brown sugar, but you need it to activate the yeast.

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  90. I was so excited about these and the bottoms burnt so bad! I set the timer for 15 min and had to take them out 5 min early because my stove was smoking!??!?!

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  91. I just made these and they were delicious! The recipe was very easy to follow, thank you!

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  92. Has anyone attempted pre made bread dough?

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  93. OK THESE SOUND AMAZING!!!! I love pretzles and definintly Auntie Anne's pretzels! Now my mom won't have to spend money on me going to Walmart and getting them there.(they have an Auntie Annes in Walieworld!!)

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  94. Wow, nice post, there are many person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post. Thank you for sharing to us. Please one more post about that.. Personalised baby gifts

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  95. Just made these and everybody LOVES them. Will I mean I will be making these again LOL

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  96. Really great pretzels, the family LOVES them... but mine stick to the pan, is it because I am greasing with veg oil instead of cooking spray? Or would patting them dry after boiling help? Or because it is a non stick cookie sheet? Thanks :-)

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  97. Mine just came out of the oven! I made half cinnamon sugar and the other half garlic parmesan. I learned a lot while making these. I think my second round will be even better now that I've picked up a few tricks. Thanks for the recipe!

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  98. OMG just made these. SO AMAZING!!!!

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  99. SPOT ON!! Wonderful find. We made pretzel buns for our smoked bbq chicken sandwiches. then made cinnamon sugar ones for desert! We are planning on making the hot dog wraps next. Thanks for sharing

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  100. I have tried this recipe several times and I can't figure out what's wrong. The yeast isn't bubbling correctly. One batch I tried to the end even though the yeast didnt bubble but they were doughy so I have tried w/two other brand new containers of yeast and used a thermometer to make sure my temp was 110-115. Anyone else have this issue?

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  101. I used premade dough and followed the other directions.. Looked great - tasted good, at first.. then I got the baking soda aftertaste, but I'm pretty sure I just used too much and not enough water! Definitely trying them again with that change :)

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  102. We just made these and they were AMAZING.we fought over the last one:) we used all wholegrain spelt and it turned out all right but darker in color. Some commenters were complaining about saltiness,but i think it was just right. Also if you had trouble with baking soda, I think if you bring the water to a rolling boil before putting in the BS it should work well.

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  103. Can I make these as a loaf to use for paninis?

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    Replies
    1. We've done that! Just slice them in half!

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    2. Will you please share your bake time for the loaf? How did you tell when it was done? Same oven temp?
      Thx!

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  104. Excellent recipe! I made pretzel rolls I some stuffed with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe I will definitely be making them again!

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  105. How long can the dough sit once it's risen before you have to boil/bake? I was hoping I could get it ready and then pop in the oven so it would still be warm when my kids got home from school.

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  106. I have made these a gazillion times and my family absolutely loves them! I will tell you all as I saw a few comments about the kitchenaid mixer, if you don't have one, get one!! I wanted one so I could make dough and now I use mine on an almost daily basis!! Best investment ever!! I was lucky though, I got the 6 qt. artisan kitchenaid at a yard sale for $225.00! It was a steal considering they sell for $500.00! It was brand new in the box. The woman got it as a gift and felt she had no use for it! Lucky me!!!

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  107. We made these this afternoon and they were great! The kids loved having them as an after-school snack. Thanks for the recipe!

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  108. Just made these right now!!! Came out fluffy, light and oh so good!!! My new fave recipe..thanks a bunch!!! Now for dip recipes :-D

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  109. Can you make the dough early and put in fridge until ready to use?

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