This is my soft pretzel recipe. I mentioned in The Pretzel that I have made these German treats at home. My girlfriend and I are still trying to recall whom we got this pretzel recipe from… Nevertheless, it’s delicious and doesn’t require lye water as mentioned before. Thumper will frown upon the pretzel being maimed in such a manner, but this is definitely a pretzel recipe you can follow with ease!

Photo above by Oskay

Pretzel Recipe

A few things about my pretzel recipe first.

• As I tried to tell Thumper, my version also gives the pretzel crust a crunchier texture without the lye water bath. The baking soda is among the lye alternatives for pretzel recipes and if you do it correctly, you won’t have a problem getting the soft pretzel you are aiming for.
• The good thing about the pretzel is that you can vary a lot and create your own, unique soft pretzel recipe. For example, you could also use sesame seeds or caraway seeds instead of pretzel salt.
• There are also variations in the flour. The pretzel dough recipe I use is one of the most basic, but feel free to add ingredients to your liking. I even found a pretzel recipe adding buttermilk powder to the dough! And many use a rye or a wheat bread flour instead of just all purpose flour.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

These are the basic ingredients, the amounts will result in 12 wonderfully crunchy / soft pretzels.

Directions

1. I use a small bowl to dissolve the yeast in  1 - 1/3 cups of warm water. This takes about 5 minutes. FYI - the temperature of the water is important.
2. In a large bowl, mix in sugar and margarine, flour, and salt. When the yeast is ready, add to mixture. Cover with a clean dish towel or paper towel (I like to use the dish towel).
3. Check the pretzel dough after 45 minutes. It should have doubled in size by then. Punch it down and give it another half hour.
4. When the dough is ready, I sprinkle a cutting board with a small amount of flour.
5. Cut the pretzel dough into short strips, roll into ropes, and shape into pretzels. Cover, and let rise on a greased baking sheet for about 45 minutes.
6. In a saucepan, combine 1 - 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda and four cups of water, heating almost to a boil. Gently lower a pretzel into the water for about 1 minute, turning once. Do not let water come to a full boil. Then remove the pretzel, and return it to the greased baking sheet.
7. Allow the pretzels to cool before brushing an egg wash coat:
8. Beat egg white and 1 teaspoon of water with a fork in a small bowl. Brush the glaze on the pretzels. Finally, sprinkle with kosher salt (pretzel salt).
9. Bake the pretzels at 450 degrees F for about 12 minutes.

So this is my pretzel recipe. As mentioned, it makes 12 pretzels that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can either enjoy them just like that, or cut them like a bagel and spread butter on them, and even add toppings of your choice.

Pretzel Pictures

Here are some entertaining pictures of how the pretzel can look like. They can also give you an idea of what toppings to use, and how to serve them:

Butter Pretzel photo by Todd Baker	Gourmet Pretzels photo by Oskay	Dark Chocolate Pretzels photo by Jerine
Exotic Style Pretzels photo by Mary Sue	Pretzels and Beer photo by A. A.	Bush Pretzel photo by Alex Anyarch

So, I hope you enjoyed my pretzel recipe! I’m curious if Thumper will like the alternative to the original recipe with lye - he WILL have to try it. I’ll make sure of that!