Perfect Pretzels
Move over Auntie Anne’s, you’ve got some competition!

No trip to the mall is complete to my kids if they can’t have one of those big, soft, hot pretzels. Come to think of it, whether it’s at the mall, the zoo, a ball game or an amusement park, pretzels are one of those once-in-a-blue-moon treats to which they gravitate.

So spur of the moment, during a pretzel craving and in no mood for a trip to venture out, we were adventurous and decided to roll up our sleeves and make our own.

My three proud little chefs couldn’t get enough of the mixing, kneading, rolling and shaping. The pretzels came out of the oven chewy and golden brown and shaped almost to perfection!

And they tasted every bit as delicious as they looked. My only complaint is that we didn’t double the recipe. Four pretzels per kid didn’t last long. But as my 6-year-old assured me. “We can make them every day!”

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Active Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
25 min
Makes:
12 pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1 package active dry yeast
  
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
  
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
  
• Vegetable oil, for pan
  
• 10 cups water
  
• 2/3 cup baking soda
  
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  
• Pretzel salt
  

Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and knead until well combined and the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto a sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.