Pretzels

This is the first time I am baking bread! I have always felt baking any kind of bread is a daunting task and way too overwhelming. I would rather go to Panera and pick up a baguette. But, finally, I took the plunge! Interestingly, I am not big on Pretzels. Occasionally, I would pick up Pretzel Tide’s ‘Pretzel Bites’ and I cannot stand any other pretzels. I made this because my daughter who is quite a picky eater loves ‘em. I took this recipe from Bobby Flay’s Soft Pretzels recipe and it came out very well! We had that for dinner by the way, yes, ME TOO! He also gives the recipe for Con Queso dip but I served it with store bought dip.

Some tidbits I found interesting (From WIKI ) “The Pretzel Museum opened in Philadelphia by members of the Nacchio family dynasty in 1993 to highlight the area’s preference for their more unique more rectangle shaped styled pretzels being baked soft and unlike the dominant more circular hard pretzels produced in western Pennsylvania. Champion hand pretzel twister Helen Hoff produced 57 pretzels per minute at this first museum.10 years later, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell declares April 26 National Pretzel Day to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state's history and economy. Congress declared it in 1983, but stopped the "commemorative day" practice in 1998”
-Did you know that the Germans eat/ate pretzels on Good Friday because the shape resembles praying hands?

Makes about 8 pretzels
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher/regular salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 2 whole eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl using a mixer.
To this, add flour and salt, and mix until well combined.
Increase the speed of the mixer and knead the dough until it is smooth and begins to pull away from the bowl. If you find the dough too wet, add some flour to it.
Grease a bowl and place the dough in it and coat the dough with the oil/butter.Cover and store in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. Took me about an hour and a half
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a pan with parchment paper or Al foil and grease with butter or PAM
Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil and add baking soda to it.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches.

To Shape:
Take the right side and cross over to the left.
Cross right to left again and flip up.
Place two pretzels at a time in the boiling water for about 30 seconds.
Take out the boiled pretzels using a large spoon. Place it on the baking sheet and brush the tops with egg and season the top with coarse sea salt.
Bake them in a preheated oven until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.
Let them cool down a bit and serve with your favorite dips!


This goes to Cooking for Kids:Evening Snacks, guest hosted by Divya, an event started by Sharmi of Naivedyam.

Also, it goes to Sunday Snacks:Snacks by Bread, guesthosted by Priya, an event started by Hima of SnackOrama.

Have fun,
Shri:)