Sick-Day Pretzels
Source: Gina Mendolo
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups water
- 3 Tablespoons baking soda
- Kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Dissolve yeast in 1 1/3 cups warm water.
- After yeast is dissolved, mix in brown sugar and flour.
- Knead dough for approximately 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The surface of the dough should be moist.
- Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes in a covered bowl.
- Remove dough and flatten slightly. Pour salt onto the dough and then knead for approximately 2 – 5 minutes to work in the salt.
- Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes in a covered bowl.
- While dough is resting, bring the 6 cups of water and the 3 Tablespoons of baking soda to a boil in a large, shallow pan.
- After 10 minutes cut or pull off a 2 inch diameter ball of dough, roll into a rope, and shape into a pretzel.
- After the pretzel is formed, drop into the boiling water/baking soda bath for 60 seconds and then transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Note: if your pan in large enough you may boil more than one pretzel at a time.
- After all of the pretzels have been boiled, bake for approximately 8 minutes until a dark golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
Notes:
- Makes approximately 12 pretzels.
- Particularly good when served with honey or flavored cream cheese.