Guest Post: Soft Pretzles

One of my favorite ladies, Lynn, is here with today's Aunt-Annie-antagonizing guest post. I've known Lynn since college and one of the first things I admired about her was her appreciation for the hallmarks of an aging Midwest. Lynn grew up not far from where I grew up in Michigan, so when she first took me to Knights for afternoon cocktails, it was like coming home. Lynn even has a copy of the Kalamazoo cookbook that I had been sure only existed in my mother's kitchen.

I can't wait to try these pretzels. Preferably, sometime soon over laughs with the lovely Lynn.


Until recently, I thought baking bread was something best left to the professionals. Dough and the products made from it were mysterious. How could ingredients as basic as flour and water, once combined and baked, become an item as unique in taste and texture as bread? The answer is yeast, an item as mysterious to me as its delicious derivatives.

So, how did I start baking bread when it had always seemed so daunting? Well, I was lucky enough to have received a beautiful food processor for Christmas last year and, wanting to reap every benefit this machine had to offer, I watched the instructional DVD. A major portion of this DVD was devoted to the appliance's bread blade. Although I had never before considered using the food processor for such a purpose, it had come with a small book of recipes and, if there is one thing that I have learned about cooking, it is that anything is possible if one just follows the instructions. So, I went for it. I bought some bread flour and some yeast, I followed the recipe to the letter, and I ended up with a beautiful loaf of challah.

After that first success, I felt unstoppable. The ingredients were cheap and simple, the process appealed to my penchant for recipes that take a whole afternoon, and, frankly, the ooh's and aah's that these first products elicited were a real ego boost*. Why should I ever buy a loaf of bread again? Why should I ever order a pizza again? And, goddamnit, why should I keep bank rolling Aunt Annie and Old Man Snyder of Hanover?

So, after consulting a few recipes on the internet, I rolled up my sleeves and made some pretzels.


*Hint: Any bread will look amazing if you use an egg wash.


Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast
  
• 1½ cups warm water (about 110° F)
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 1½ teaspoons salt
  
• 2½ cups all purpose flour
  
• 1½ cups bread flour
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 8 cups water
  
• ½ cup baking soda
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 1 tablespoons water
  
• 2 tablespoons rock salt or cinnamon sugar
  

Instructions:

1. Combine yeast, warm water, and brown sugar. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it begins to foam.


2. Combine both types of flour, salt, and butter in the bowl of a food processor using the bread blade. If you do not have a food processor with a bread blade, no problem, just combine it in a large bowl.


3. Slowly mix the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. This will become very thick and hard to stir; don't worry, that's what kneading is for.


4. Once the ingredients have formed a ball-like shape, let the food processor knead the dough for an additional 45 seconds. If hand kneading, roll onto lightly floured surface and knead by folding in the side closest to you, pressing it into the rest of the dough with the heel of your hands, then giving it a quarter turn. Do this for 8 minutes.


5. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large plastic bag or a large bowl and coat all sides. Put the dough into the bowl and seal or cover. Let rise about one hour in a warm place.


6. Remove the dough from the bag and divide into about 8 - 10 pieces; I find that a serrated blade works best.


7. Lightly oil a work surface and roll each piece of dough into a rope of about 18 inches. Form the rope into a pretzel shape.


8. Combine the 8 cups water and baking soda and bring to a boil.


9. One at a time, submerge each pretzel into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Lay on a lightly oiled baking sheet.


10. Combine the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Brush this egg wash over the pretzels.


11. Sprinkle with salt or cinnamon sugar.


12. Bake in a 450° oven for 12 to 14 minutes. They will be done when they look perfect. You'll know when this happens.


13. Let them cool just a little bit. They are best right away. For consumption after the first day, be sure to reheat them, preferably in the oven.

Adapted from:

Alton Brown, 'Good Eats' on the Food Network
Thatsmyhome.com