Soft Pretzels

I've had a tasting for soft pretzels lately. This must be because yesterday (April 26th) was national pretzel day. How timely of me, right? So this week, in lieu of my normal popcorn adventures, I changed things up with a little baking.

There are numerous pretzel recipes out there. Some are more complicated than others and may require boiling the twisted dough prior to baking.

This recipe achieves the pretzel flavor by dipping the dough in a baking soda water solution. An important - and eventually tasty - step in creating the pretzel taste I was looking for.

I enjoy them hot and dipped in garlic, whole mustard. Very tasty!

Soft Pretzels
Recipe adapted from Tracy's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients: *Yield 16

Pretzel Dough
5 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. teaspoon salt
2 tsp. sugar
4 & 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 & 1/4 c. warm water, divided
1-2 tbs. additional flour as needed for shaping and rolling

Pretzel Finishing
1 c. hot water
4 tbs. baking soda
coarse salt
4 tbs. butter, melted

Directions:
1. Attach dough hook to electric mixer. Combine dough ingredients, reserving 1/4 c. water, in mixing bowl. Blend until dough ball is formed. Add remaining water as needed and blend. Dough should be soft and sticky.
2. Remove from bowl and shape into ball. Dust dough with flour and place in large bowl. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour. Dough should double in size.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
4. Prepare extra-large cutting board and knife with cooking spray. Cut dough into 16 even pieces.
5. Prepare baking pans with cooking spray. Spoon remaining flour onto corner of work station to use as needed when dough sticks to hands or surface.
6. Combine water and baking soda in small bowl and whisk until soda is fully dissolved.
7. Roll dough into long 'snake' until approx 24 inches long. Shape pretzels by making a 'U' shape and then twisting the ends together. Press ends into bottom of pretzel shape.
8. Holding the pretzel at the ends of the twist, fully dip pretzel into soda water mixture. Remove immediately and place on prepared cooking pan. Repeat until pan is filled.
9. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 with remaining dough.
11. Use pastry brush to brush pretzels with butter. Salt pretzels immediately.
12. Serve hot with variety of mustards for dipping. Enjoy!