Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

Flour and yeast:

Warm ingredients:

Ingredients For Boiling:

Glaze:

Topping:

Instructions

  1. In a large work bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat milk, sugar, oil, and 1½ teaspoons salt until just warm; stirring constantly.
  3. Add the milk mixture to the flour and yeast in the work bowl.
  4. Mix together with a spatula and let stand for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the 1 cup of flour to the work bowl.
  6. Using a electric mixer or the paddle attachment for a stand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  7. Remove mixer or paddle attachments from bowl.
  8. Insert a dough hook into the stand mixer.
  9. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
  10. Grease a large ceramic or glass bowl.
  11. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil.
  12. Cover with a slightly damp towel.
  13. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk, about 1½ hours.
  14. To test the rise, poke 2 fingers about ½-inch deep into the dough. If the indentations stay after your fingers are removed the dough is ready.
  15. Punch down dough.
  16. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
  17. Knead for 30 seconds.
  18. Cover with a dry towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
  19. Roll the dough into a 12x8 rectangle.
  20. Cut into 16 strips, each 12-inches long and ½-inch wide.
  21. Roll each strip into a rope, 16-inches long.
  22. To shape pretzels, start by shaping one rope of dough into a circle, overlapping about 4-inches from each end and leaving ends free.
  23. Take one end of dough in each hand and twist at the point where dough overlaps.
  24. Carefully lift ends across to the opposite edge of the circle.
  25. Tuck ends under the edge to make a pretzel shape.
  26. Moisten and press ends to seal.
  27. Let pretzels rise, uncovered for 20 minutes.
  28. Grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside.
  29. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients and set aside.
  30. Preheat oven:
    Standard Oven: 350°   |   Convection Oven: 325°
  31. In a large pot, combine 3 tablespoons salt and 3 quarts of water.
  32. Bring to a boil.
  33. Reduce heat so water simmers gently.
  34. Carefully lower pretzels into water 1 at a time.
  35. Cook 3 to 4 pretzels at a time.
  36. Pretzels will sink, then rise to the surface immediately.
  37. Boil 2 minutes, turning once with a large slotted spoon.
  38. Using the slotted spoon, remove boiled pretzels from boiling water and place on prepared baking sheets.
  39. Brush with egg-white and water glaze.
  40. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
  41. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
  42. Cool on racks.

Comments

Makes 16 soft pretzels.

Serve with optional spicy stone ground mustard.

Categorized in

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Des Moines: Meridith Corporation (1981).