#3325 - Homemade Soft Pretzels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 envelope of yeast
1/4 cup warm water + 1 cup warm water + 4 cups water
a pinch of white sugar
2 tsp. salt
4-5 cups flour
softened butter (as needed)
4 tsp. baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling

In a small bowl add the yeast and 1/4 cup warm water--stir to mix. In a separate small bowl add a pinch of white sugar and 1 cup warm water--stir to mix. In a large bowl add the yeast mixture, 2 tsp. salt and the white sugar mixture--stir to mix. Start out by adding 4 cups flour--mix to make dough. If dough is not stiff, add more flour and mix the dough until the dough is stiff. Put the dough on a floured counter and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes so that the dough is elastic. Place the dough in a bowl and spread the whole top of the dough with softened butter. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough raise for 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size. Shape dough into 1/2" thick ropes and shape them into pretzel twists. In a saucepan add 4 cups water and the baking soda--bring to a boil. Carefully drop one pretzel dough into the boiling water at a time and boil it for 1 minute or until it floats to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove it, drain it as much as possible and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all pretzel doughs, making sure that pretzel doughs don't touch each other on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle coarse salt on the pretzel doughs (if coarse salt doesn't stick well, use your finger to spread a little water over the tops of the pretzel doughs). Bake at 475 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

#796 - Homemade Soft Pretzels

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 tsp. white sugar + 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
4 cups hot water
5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. table salt
1 TBSP canola oil or vegetable oil + more for oiling a bowl
1/2 cup baking soda
kosher salt for sprinkling


Add dry yeast, 1 tsp. white sugar and 1 1/4 cups warm water in a bowl--stir until dissolved, then let it stand for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl add the flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp. table salt--add the yeast mixture and the canola/vegetable oil--mix to form the dough (if too dry add a little water). Use your hands to knead the dough until it's smooth. Use more oil to grease a bowl lightly--place the dough in the bowl and keep turning it until the dough has been oiled. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl add the 4 cups hot water and the baking soda--stir until dissolved. Place the dough on the counter and cut into 10-12 even pieces. Roll each dough piece into a "snake", then twist into a pretzel shape. As you finish each pretzel, dip them into the baking soda water and place directly on to greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops of each pretzel with the desired amount of kosher salt--at this point you can also sprinkle with any flavoring you like (such as dry ranch dressing mix). Bake at 450 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until brown.