It's Pretzel Time!

My roommates and I are constantly experimenting in the kitchen and today we tried a recipe that we got off of Copy Kat Recipes (one of our friends tipped us off to the website). It's possibly one of the best things for those of you who are seeking out some familiar tastes but find yourselves thousands of miles (or dollars) away from the nearest Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Krispy Kreme or Olive Garden.

Today we made soft pretzels just like at the mall! We even topped some of them with cinnamon sugar. Mmmmm...delicious! Of course, we ended up doing over half the process without electricity because of our random power outages. I guess everything can't be like home! Recipe follows the picture.


Soft Pretzel Recipe

Serves/Makes 12

Ingredients
1 ½ cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 cup bread flour (you can sub 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp reg. flour)
3 cups regular flour
2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp baking soda

To taste coarse salt
4 Tbsp butter (melted)

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add brown sugar and salt, stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least ½ hour.

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 Tbsp. baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about ½ inch or less thick) and shape. You can also make "pretzel bites" by cutting 1" pieces of rope, but cooking time for them is shorter. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in 450 oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Dip in melted butter and toppings and enjoy!

Toppings: After you brush with or dip in melted butter try sprinkling with coarse salt, or for cinnamon sugar, melt a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously. Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture. Enjoy!