Soft Pretzels

It has been almost a month since the mall has been closed and I have not been able to eat a soft pretzel! I am surprised by how much I miss them! The soft buttery deliciousness is covered in salt! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Since I was missing my salty carb snacks I figured I would try and make some to fill the void. This recipe is pretty close to Mr. Pretzel snacks I love and miss so much. The only thing I found surprising was how difficult it was to twist the pretzels. They make it look so easy!

For those of you that are missing the pretzels as much as I am. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package of active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons coarse salt

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and salt in 1 1/2 cups of warm water.

Stir in flour, and knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

Combine 2 cups of warm water and baking soda in an 8-inch square pan. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, I used 4 baking sheets.

After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-foot rope, pencil-thin, or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place onto parchment-covered baking sheets, and let rise for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

I dipped the pretzels into an 8-inch square pan with melted butter in it and then sprinkled salt on them. This was the perfect fix I was looking for to replace my craving for Mr. Pretzel.