Snacks/sweet pretzels

Serves: 12

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hour

From: Fresh May/June 2009

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups warm water (110f, bath water)

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. kosher salt

4 cups all purpose flour, plus additional if needed

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

Baking Soda Bath

1/3 cup baking soda

4 cups warm water

Directions

Step 1

Place yeast, brown sugar and warm water in large mixing bowl and stir. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. Stir in butter and vanilla.

Step 2

In another bowl whisk salt with flour. Add to yeast mixture 1 cup at a time and mix until dough forms. Dust work surface with flour, and need for 8-10 minutes. Add flour as needed, slight stickiness is OK.

Step 3

Wipe any dough from mixing bowl then add oil to bowl. Use a paper towel to spread it around, coating the surface. Form the dough into a ball and place it in bowl. Cover bowl loosely with plastic and let dough rise in warm place for 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in bulk.

Step 4

Punch down dough to remove excess bubbles and roll into a ball. Divide ball into 12 equal pieces and place on work surface. Rinse bowl make baking soda bath by mixing water with baking soda. Set aside.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 425f. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and spray with vegetable cooking spray. In a small bowl mix cinnamon and sugar.

Step 6

To form a traditional pretzel shape roll each piece of dough into a snake 22 inches long. Form a letter 'u', then cross the ends over each other once then twice to form a twist. Pull the ends down attaching it to the bottom pinching the dough so that it sticks together. Or you can make any other shape you like - because clearly you would not have done this if we hadn't said it was OK.

Step 7

Stir soda bath. Dip pretzels one at a time into mixture, then blot on a kitchen towel. Place 6 pretzels on each baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar and bake for 12 minutes, or until pretzels are golden. May be frozen.

Variations

Chocolate

Replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa. Sift in with flour. Sprinkle with course decorative sugar.

Cinnamon Currant

Add 1 tsp. cinnamon to flour. Add 1/2 cup currants or raisins while kneading.

Maple Walnut

Substitute 1 tsp. maple extract for the vanilla. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts to the flour. Brush surface of pretzels with maple syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar.