Homemade Soft Pretzels

Prep Time: 0 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 16

Fantastic appetizer. Everyone loves pretzels and these are fantastic. Enjoy

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter melted

3-1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour plus extra for handling dough

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

4 cups water

5 teaspoons baking soda

parchment paper or waxed paper

oil for the baking pan

salt and sesame seeds to sprinkle on pretzels

Directions:

1. Pour lukewarm water into a bowl then and add yeast and sugar.
2. Stir in one tablespoon of the melted butter.
3. Add three cups of flour and salt then mix well.
4. Using your hands knead dough briefly.
5. If dough is too sticky add extra flour.
6. Pour extra tablespoon of melted butter over ball of dough.
7. Swish dough around so it gets coated with the butter.
8. Cover bowl and let dough rise for an hour or so.
9. Shape pretzels and bake them.
10. Oil a baking sheet generously and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
11. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper.
12. This will be used to hold the shaped but unboiled pretzels.
13. Fill a pot of water with four cups of water and 5 teaspoons baking soda.
14. Bring to a boil.
15. Put oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450.
16. When dough is ready press it down and place it on a floured work surface.
17. Divide dough in half and put one half aside in the covered bowl.
18. Divide dough on the work surface into 16 equal portions.
19. Using floured hands roll or stretch each portion of dough into a 12 snake.
20. Shape snake into a pretzel shape or any shape you like.
21. Bring your formed pretzels over near the boiling water.
22. Have the oiled baking sheet nearby.
23. Flip a pretzel from the paper onto your hand and place carefully in water.
24. Do this with two or three pretzels and then set a time for one minute.
25. The pretzels will swell and stiffen during this boiling.
26. Use a slotted spoon to lift pretzels out of the water and onto baking sheet.
27. Continue until you have boiled all the pretzels.
28. At this point you can sprinkle salt on the boiled pretzels.
29. Put the tray of pretzels into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
30. Turn pretzels then bake another 7 minutes.

By RecipeOfHealth.com