Pretzel time

Soft pretzels hold a special place in my heart. When I make them, they remind me of Brezel, the soft pretzel rolls sold in every bakery. They were also well-loved by my friends in Australia, so they evoke memories of my time in Brisbane. 

In case you'd like to start your own pretzel memories, here's an illustrated recipe.

4 t. yeast

1 c. water

1 1/2 c. flour

2 T. oil

1T. sugar

Additional 1 1/2 c. flour (approximately)

6 c. water

6 T. baking soda

Dissolve the yeast into the water. Add 1 1/2 c. flour, oil and sugar to make a smooth batter. Stir in the additional flour until you have made a soft dough. Let rise until double, then punch down and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll into ropes and twist into braids.

The portions, the ropes and the twisted pretzels:

Let the pretzels rise for 25 minutes on a greased or floured surface. While they're rising, it's time to prepare for the bath that makes them pretzels, 6T. of baking soda in 6 cups of boiling water:

(And make sure that pot isn't aluminum, or you'll have some unwanted chemical reactions to deal with.) Boil each pretzel 10 seconds on each side, then lay them on a greased cooking sheet. Immediately sprinkle them with rock salt and bake for 12-15 minutes at 425F/200C. Take them out when they look like this:

Next time, I'm going to try making them half white and half wheat, an adaptation most bread recipes can handle. I'll let you know how it goes.