Soft Pretzels
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Makes 10 pretzels
Growing up, soft pretzels were a special indulgence on our biannual trips to the Grand Forks mall. I loved watching the vendors roll, twist, and flip long pieces of dough that became warm, crisp pretzels with a hint of sweetness. These homemade pretzels are a nod to those mall treats, but made a little healthier with a bit of whole wheat flour and an egg wash used to make the salt stick instead of a butter bath after baking. Once you have the trick of forming the pretzel mastered, these are an easy side to make to go with soup at supper or to have as an afternoon snack. These freeze beautifully.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of warm water2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast2 tablespoons packed brown sugar4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup whole wheat flour2 3/4 cups bread flour2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 1 teaspoons if not using Diamond.)1 egg Flaky sea salt
Water Bath:
3 quarts water1/2 to 2/3 cups baking soda (The more baking soda you use, the more flavor you’ll add to the pretzels.)
Instructions:
1. Add the yeast, brown sugar, and water to a large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.2. Add the whole wheat flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Stir with a Dutch whisk or wooden spoon until the flour and butter are well combined. 3. Add the bread flour and stir to combine. 4. Once you have a shaggy dough, add the salt. 5. Stir in the salt, and then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. (Add more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour because it will cause a stiffer dough with less flavor.)6. Once the dough is smooth and springy, add it to a greased mixing bowl and allow it to rise until doubled—about an hour. 7. While the dough is rising, line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. 8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the oven racks so you can bake 2 trays at the same time.9. Add 3 quarts of water to a large pot. 10. Measure out the baking soda and set aside.11. Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside. 12. Once the dough has risen, divide into 10 equal pieces. (I use a kitchen scale for this to ensure all pretzels are the same size.)13. Form each section of dough into a smooth ball by pinching the dough into the middle. With the seam down, roll the dough on the worksurface with a cupped hand. Use your ring finger and pinky to create tension at the bottom of the dough to get a smooth ball of dough. Allow the balls of dough to rest for 5 minutes.14. Working with the first dough ball, roll the dough into a 20-inch (or so) rope. Turn the ends of the rope upward to form a U-shape. Bring the strands together, twisting the dough twice in the middle of the U. Pull the strands at the top of the U toward the bottom and adjust slightly to form a pretzel shape. 15. Place the formed pretzel on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue shaping the pretzels, adding 5 to each baking sheet.16. Once you’ve formed the pretzels, allow them to rest while the pot of water comes to a boil.17. When the water is boiling, slowly—very slowly—add the baking soda. (The water will vigorously boil up when the baking soda is added. If you add it all at once, you’ll have a stovetop covered in baking soda water—an unfortunate mess to clean.)18. Once the baking soda has dissolved, add 2 pretzels to the water at a time. Boil for 30 seconds. 19. After 30 seconds, remove the pretzels and return them to the baking sheet. Continue this process until all 10 pretzels have been boiled.20. Brush each pretzel with egg wash and top with flaky sea salt. 21. Bake for 8 minutes. 22. After 8 minutes, rotate the pans both by rack and front to back. 23. Bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature reaches at least 190 degrees.24. Once the pretzels are baked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of warm water2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast2 tablespoons packed brown sugar4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup whole wheat flour2 3/4 cups bread flour2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 1 teaspoons if not using Diamond.)1 egg Flaky sea salt
Water Bath:
3 quarts water1/2 to 2/3 cups baking soda (The more baking soda you use, the more flavor you’ll add to the pretzels.)
Instructions:
1. Add the yeast, brown sugar, and water to a large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.2. Add the whole wheat flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Stir with a Dutch whisk or wooden spoon until the flour and butter are well combined. 3. Add the bread flour and stir to combine. 4. Once you have a shaggy dough, add the salt. 5. Stir in the salt, and then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. (Add more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour because it will cause a stiffer dough with less flavor.)6. Once the dough is smooth and springy, add it to a greased mixing bowl and allow it to rise until doubled—about an hour. 7. While the dough is rising, line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. 8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the oven racks so you can bake 2 trays at the same time.9. Add 3 quarts of water to a large pot. 10. Measure out the baking soda and set aside.11. Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside. 12. Once the dough has risen, divide into 10 equal pieces. (I use a kitchen scale for this to ensure all pretzels are the same size.)13. Form each section of dough into a smooth ball by pinching the dough into the middle. With the seam down, roll the dough on the worksurface with a cupped hand. Use your ring finger and pinky to create tension at the bottom of the dough to get a smooth ball of dough. Allow the balls of dough to rest for 5 minutes.14. Working with the first dough ball, roll the dough into a 20-inch (or so) rope. Turn the ends of the rope upward to form a U-shape. Bring the strands together, twisting the dough twice in the middle of the U. Pull the strands at the top of the U toward the bottom and adjust slightly to form a pretzel shape. 15. Place the formed pretzel on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue shaping the pretzels, adding 5 to each baking sheet.16. Once you’ve formed the pretzels, allow them to rest while the pot of water comes to a boil.17. When the water is boiling, slowly—very slowly—add the baking soda. (The water will vigorously boil up when the baking soda is added. If you add it all at once, you’ll have a stovetop covered in baking soda water—an unfortunate mess to clean.)18. Once the baking soda has dissolved, add 2 pretzels to the water at a time. Boil for 30 seconds. 19. After 30 seconds, remove the pretzels and return them to the baking sheet. Continue this process until all 10 pretzels have been boiled.20. Brush each pretzel with egg wash and top with flaky sea salt. 21. Bake for 8 minutes. 22. After 8 minutes, rotate the pans both by rack and front to back. 23. Bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature reaches at least 190 degrees.24. Once the pretzels are baked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.