If the circles are too tight, use your fingers to widen the holes for a more pleasing pretzel shape.I love soft pretzels! They may be my favourite food ever, but I was always too intimidated to make them myself … until I found the perfect recipe. You'll see the familiar pretzel shape take hold. Flip the overlapping ends down, so that they will meet the bottom of the rounded part. You can coil once or twice more if desired.Ĥ. Overlap the ends, leaving approximately 2-inch "tails," so it kind of looks like a ribbon symbol for a moment. Gather the dough into a horseshoe shape, with the ends of the "U" pointed up.ģ. About 14 inches is a good length for this recipe.Ģ. Roll out the dough into a long, slender log.
#Homemade pretzel recipe how to
Here's how to do it in four easy steps.ġ. It may look like origami folding, but shaping pretzels couldn't be simpler. If it is not available in your grocery store, use the coarsest salt you can find.Ĭlick here to view more recipes from Baking Steel! Because it’s “sturdier” than typical coarse salt or even flaky sea salt, it’s the perfect choice for finishing salt bagels, bread sticks, or pretzels. Store well wrapped leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.Įxtra credit: what is pretzel salt? Pretzel Salt is a coarse, large-grained salt that doesn’t melt quickly. If you want, brush the pretzels with melted butter when you take them out for added flavor! Remove from the Steel and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Either place your parchment onto a sheet tray and place on your Baking Steel, or use a pizza peel to launch the parchment directly onto your Steel.īake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, or until golden brown (whether you’ve shaped them into pretzels or rolls, they will bake for the same amount of time). Remove the pretzels with a slotted spoon so that the excess liquid can drain off, and place them onto a sheet of parchment paper. Be careful: the mixture is hot, and can stain your clothes. Using your hands, drop your pretzels into the poaching solution and let sit for about 10-15 seconds flip with tongs, and repeat on the second side. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil once the baking soda is dissolved, turn off the heat. Shape each portion into a pretzel (see note), or form them into balls to make pretzel buns. Portion the dough into 6 equal portions (about 145g each) for pretzels, or 12 equal portions (about 70g each) for buns. Turn the risen dough onto a floured work surface. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the middle position of your oven and place the Baking Steel on top. The dough will expand to a little more than double its original size.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for up to an hour. The dough will form a loose ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the warm water mix briefly to incorporate.Īdd the melted butter, and mix on medium speed for about 4 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Makes 6 medium pretzels, or 12 pretzel bunsģ50 g (12 ounces) warm water (105 degrees F)ĥ7 g (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted In either case, remember to give your Baking Steel a good 45 minute preheat.And make these for after the game. This recipe includes instructions for how to make classic soft pretzels, but you can also use the dough to make soft pretzel buns, which are perfect for sandwiches or burgers. Though it might sound strange, the alkaline water makes the dough slightly gummy once baked, it helps to ensure a chewy interior with an outer "crust" browned to perfection. In the case of super soft pretzels, rather than boiling them, they are poached in a solution of water and baking soda. With a simple dough that comes together in minutes, the rest of the process is similar to making homemade bagels: shape, submerge, bake, snack.
To the uninitiated, making pretzels seems complicated, but it’s actually a pretty an easy way to learn the basics of bread-making. They are not good, so we came up with our own recipe. Without fail, after every game, both my sons love to indulge in the rink food court’s pretzels. As a dad, I’ve put in plenty of time at my kids’ hockey games.