Buttery Soft Pretzels- Sweet or Salty

  • Buttery Soft Pretzels- Sweet or SaltyHow do you prefer your pretzels- salty (with chunks of course salt scattered across the top), or sweet (with cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the well-buttered surface of the still-warm dough)?
    It doesn’t matter, my friend, because you have both options catered to in this recipe.  As long as you like them soft and chewy, you’ll be just fine.

    I know I have complained about yeast recipes before, and I will absolutely complain again (although less so in this recipe, because you’re not letting the dough rise twice)- but I was inspired to make pretzels for three reasons:

    1. I have a friend who really likes them, and I aim to please

    2. I have been thinking about them since spending a lot of time in Philly for work… everyone there is crazy about pretzels (and a few people there like cheesesteaks, too)

    3. I stumbled across a recipe and knew that it was the recipe god’s way of telling me to finally go forth and bake them, for freaking’s sake

    Adapted from King Arthur Flour’s recipe…

    DOUGH:

    2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon sugar

    2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)

    3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

    SOAK & TOPPING:

    1 cup boiling water

    2 tablespoons baking soda

    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

    course salt or kosher salt- for sprinkling (optional for salty pretzels)

    2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon- for sprinkling (optional for sweet pretzels)

    1. In a large bowl, beat all dough ingredients together and then knead/use dough hook of a stand mixer for 5 minutes, until it is soft and smooth.
    2. Sprinkle dough with flour and cover tightly (with plastic wrap, ideally); let rest for 30 minutes.
    3. In a large casserole or baking dish, mix boiling water with baking soda and allow to dissolve.  Set aside to cool.
    4. Preheat oven to 475° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with canola/vegetable oil).
    5. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each one out into a thin rope about 2 feet long.  Twist into a pretzel shape.
    6. Place 3 – 4 pretzels at a time into the baking soda water, spooning the liquid over the tops of the pretzels.  Allow to soak for 2 minutes; carefully remove and place on prepared baking sheets (you can reshape as necessary at this point).  Sprinkle with course salt (if using) and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
    7. Bake for 8 – 9 minutes, or until golden brown.
    8. Brush pretzels with melted butter, and then sprinkle with salt OR cinnamon sugar mixture.  Eat while still warm!

    Tips:

    • Water note: use a full cup of warm water in the winter (or if where you live is really dry), just to make sure your dough is nice and soft.
    • When rolling the dough, don’t flour your work surface.  I am now in total love with my giant silicone mat, as I can roll right on it (sometimes with flour, if I’m rolling out a pie dough) and things just don’t stick.  Please get yourself one- life is short, and not worth fretting about dough stuck to your counter or parchment paper.
    • The butter: it’s SO necessary at the end… and use it all up, even if it means going back over and brushing more over the ones you thought you completed.
    • Want it sweeter?  Add a tablespoon of honey to the melted butter and then brush over the warm pretzels.  Sprinkle mini chocolate chips overtop… or crushed toffee bits (like Heath or Skor)… or simply the cinnamon sugar.  Or do one of each.  Too bad you only have 8 pretzels to work with here.
    • Sucker for savory?  I am right up your alley.  Grate some parmesan cheese over the pretzels at the end with the salt, and serve with a yummy marinara sauce.
    • Dips… honey mustard, course grainy mustard, marinara (especially with a cheese-covered pretzel), Nutella, peanut butter, PB mixed with honey… oh, you’re just getting me started.

     

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    May 2nd, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: , ,

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