Not too much to add about the experience because I simply don't remember. I do recall being frustrated with the rolling process, but this is not abnormal for my relationship with pretzel making. I can never roll the dough thin enough to make a true pretzel shape. Serve these with a cheese dip or a hot mustard sauce. Yum!
Note: the egg, technically, is not an essential ingredient unless you want your pretzels to turn brown.
Soft Pretzels
recipe from Alton Brown, Food Network
Yield: 8 pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm (110-115 degrees F) water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 22 ounces AP flour, approx 4 1/2 cups
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- veggie oil, for pan
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk beaten w/ 1 tbsp water
- pretzel salt
- Combine the water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on the top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to foam.
- Add the flour and butter and, if using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
- Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approx. 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and then oil it well.
- Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approx 50-55 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with veggie oil. Set aside.
- Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan.
- In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make your pretzels: 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 the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
- Place the pretzels, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds into the boiling water. Remove them from the water by 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, approx. 12-14 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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