How to Make Soft Pretzels From Scratch
It is widely believed that soft pretzels date back to around A.D. 610, when an Italian monk created the first pretzel from leftover bread dough; he shaped the dough to resemble a child's arms crossed during prayer, according to Superpretzel.com. From their original name, bretzels, to modern day pretzels, soft pretzels have come a long way. Buying soft pretzels can get expensive over time, so people often turn to homemade recipes to make a bunch of them all at once. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour (for dough)
- 2 medium-sized mixing bowls
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 package yeast
- Cookie sheet
- Vegetable oil spray
- 1 tsp. flour (for table)
- Egg
- Brush
- 2 tbsp. coarse kosher salt
Instructions
-
-
1
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the salt, sugar and flour in one medium sized mixing bowl. In a microwave, heat up 1 1/2 cups of water so that it is lukewarm. Dissolve one package of yeast in the warm water.
-
2
Combine the yeast with the salt, sugar and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit to rise for a few minutes. While waiting, lightly spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil.
-
-
3
Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of flour on the counter so that your dough won't stick to the counter or to your hands. This is where you'll be kneading the dough. After kneading the dough to a slightly sticky consistency, divide it into sections about the size of a baseball. Roll out each section until it is about a foot long, so that it looks like a small rope.
-
4
Form the pretzel shape of your choice. You can make a standard shape pretzel, a heart shaped pretzel, or even some pretzels that spell out your name. This would be a fun activity for kids to be involved with. Brush each pretzel with egg wash (just beat an egg with a small amount of water) and sprinkle kosher salt on them, if desired.
-
5
Bake your pretzels in the oven for between 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. The time may very due to thickness of the dough and your altitude.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Feel free to add other toppings to your pretzels, like cheese, cinnamon, or butter.
References
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
The measurements are off. Never should you have equal parts water and flour. My son tried to make these for a school project. He ended up with foamy semi-sludge. It was not possible to make anything out of this. I suggest a double check on the amounts listed. I promise you 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups flour does not work. We ended up using a different recipe that was a bit more involved.
