Pretzels

One of my favorite parts about going to the mall when I was younger was the special treats we would get. Not the clothes or new shoes but the pretzels. The big, chewy pretzels you can only get when you go out shopping. At least until now. This recipe duplicates mall pretzels perfectly. The texture, the color, and even the shape! They are surprisingly easy, especially if you have any experience with making bread products of any kind.

PRETZELS

1 pkg Active Dry Yeast

2 tbl Brown Sugar

1/8 tsp Salt

1 1/2 c Warm Water

3 c Flour

1 c Bread Flour

2 c Warm Water

2 tbl Baking Soda

2 tbl Butter

2 tbl Kosher Salt

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar, and salt into 1 1/2 c warm water. Stori in flour and knead until smooth and elastic or about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for about 1 hour.

2. Combine 2 c warm water and baking soda into an 8 in square pan.

3. After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a pencil thin rope that is about 3 feet long. Twist into a pretzel shape and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on a parchment covered pan and let rise about 20 minutes.

4. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with course salt, garlic, or cinnamon sugar.

With bread recipes, there is little that can be done to improve the nutritional profile of the food considering yeast can be so temperamental. However, with the recipe I suggest simply trying different toppings and get creative!