Soft Pretzels

I blogged about these a few months back. But I hadn't thought to post recipes with my grub posts. Well, I hadn't really thought of it as a category. Now it's my only category. Maybe I should try to codify my other posts: insane political rants, family photo album stuff, messed up stuff I've taken pictures of, etc.



Anyway, soft pretzels are super easy and totally scarfable. If you need to take something to a party and don't want to take anything home but the empty container, this is the stuff to make.

Or if you just feel the need to carb up.

But best of all, you can have the dishes done less than an hour after you start.

Heat oven to 425ºF, then mix up:

1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp sugar
2 packets active yeast
1 tbsp salt
4 cups bread flour



Shape your pretzels (no need to wait on the dough to rise). They don't have to be pretzel shaped. I've made them as coils, letters, anything you can twist a roll of dough into. I even made them penis and boobie shaped once, though that was long ago and drinking was involved. And boobs are more like a roll than a pretzel, you just roll it into a ball, mush it onto the cookie sheet, brush a bit of egg in the center and put one rock of coarse salt in the center. For the male unit, you mush the rolled up pice onto the sheet and brush egg on the mushed out part and sprinkle the salt on to make ball hair.

Ahem.

Anyway, after you've made your pretzel shapes or obscene jokes, you brush a bit of beaten egg on and sprinkle with coarse salt. The salt that comes in those grinders is good, though that's an expensive way to go. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.

I made a batch of whole wheat dough this time, too. Substitute whole wheat flour for half the amount and it's the same thing. That, and I braided the wheat version this time instead of doing the traditional shape.