Homemade Pretzels – Recipe!

Warm, salty and oh-so chewy — Homemade Pretzels make the perfect game night or snack food.

Dough just happens to be my thing.  I have years of experience making sourdough, baguettes, pizza dough, buns, rolls and yes, pretzels.  Pretzels are one of the easiest of the bunch and bake up into a delicious snack or treat to enjoy anytime.  I prepared a basic pretzel dough and divided it by ten balls to roll into ropes and form into pretzel shapes.  It’s not difficult, it’s therapeutic and fun to share with kids or guests.  The boiling part is easy — just add baking soda to boiling water and plop a pretzel into the bath for 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a sheet pan to bake.

If you’re going to make the classic salted pretzels, sprinkle with salt before baking, however if you want to add a little personality to a pretzel, dot them with a few sliced jalapenos before baking, and then top with cheese 5 minutes before they’re done.  I love to serve them warm, but they will hold for a few days in the refrigerator — just toast them up in an oven for 5-8 minutes before enjoying again.

Ingredients

Pretzels

1 1/2 cups water

7 grams or 1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons melted butter, divided

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup kosher or coarse salt

1 jalapeno, sliced – optional

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded – optional

2 teaspoons neutral oil for bowl

Water Bath

2 quarts water

1/2 cup baking soda

(Makes 10 Pretzels)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line two sheet pans with parchment and set aside.  Place 2 quarts of water on stove to simmer.
2. In a stand mixer, add water, yeast and sugar in bowl, mix on low for 30 seconds.  After 5 minutes, add salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and flour, mix until dough comes together and is smooth and slightly sticky.  Knead on board 10-times until smooth and elastic, place dough in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap to rise for 10 minutes.
3. Remove plastic wrap from bowl and divided dough into 10 equal pieces, about 100 grams each or size of a golf ball.
4. Roll each ball out into a 10-inch rope and bring ends inch apart at the top to form a large U.  Twist ends once and attach back at the bottom of pretzel to form pretzel shape.  Place on sheet pan and repeat until all pretzels are formed.
5. Add 1/2 cup baking soda to water bath and increase heat to lightly boiling.  Add 2-3 pretzels at a time to boil for 20-30 seconds.  Remove with slotted spoon and place back on sheet pans. Brush with remaining melted butter.
6. Sprinkle with kosher salt or dot with jalapenos and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove jalapeno pretzels and top with cheese.  Bake all pretzels for another 5 minutes.  Remove and cool on pans for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!