Soft Pretzels

Recipe is adapted from this one. They work great wrapped around a hot dog with no changes required! Makes about 12 relatively small pretzels.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast (.25oz, make sure it's not expired)
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, approximately 110° F
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • salt for topping (pretzel salt or other coarse salt is ideal)

Instructions

  1. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, yeast, and flour.
  2. Heat the butter and water separately, then add to your mixture. If you'd like to activate the yeast with sugar in the warm water separately, you can but it's not needed.
  3. Mix until well combined. If the dough is too wet to knead, keep adding a bit more flour until it's dry enough. Keep in mind that the dough may become stickier again as you knead it. If you'd like to add flavorings such as hot peppers, do it now.
  4. Knead until the dough is smooth and feels somewhat stretchy/shapeable, about 5 minutes.
  5. Return the dough to the bowl and leave to rise for about an hour, when it should have doubled in size. Cover the bowl with something to prevent the dough from drying out and to keep insects away.
  6. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them to prevent sticking.
  7. Bring 4 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Make sure you have enough water for the pretzel to be immersed in your vessel. If your pretzel flavor ends up too strong, use less baking soda, and vice versa.
  8. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, then roll each into a 16-18 inch rope.
  9. Make a U-shape with the dough holding each end of the rope, and wrap each side over each other, and press onto the bottom of the dough to form the shape of a pretzel, or wrap around your weiner. To maintain a smooth outer texture, try not to twist the rope while shaping or wrapping. Do not let the pretzels rise a second time after shaping—they should be boiled ASAP to maintain the structural integrity and texture.
  10. Place the pretzels into the boiling water + baking soda mixture, 1 or 2 at a time, and boil for approx. 30 seconds on each side.
  11. Remove the pretzel from the water using a large spatula or slotted spoon and return to the pan.
  12. Separate an egg yolk and mix with a little water to make the egg wash, then brush each pretzel (with brush or fingers) and sprinkle with salt. The pretzels will be fine without an egg wash, but the salt will not hold up through baking and eating.
  13. Bake approximately 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown in color.
  14. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. The pretzels are perfectly safe to eat for a couple days after, but the texture is best when eaten fresh.