QUICK & EASY BUTTERY SOFT PRETZELS

No longer do you have to wade through the mall crowd throngs of screaming children, well manicured desperate housewives, and tween girls in not-really-pants leggings in order to get your hands on a soft pretzel.  I present to you - soft pretzels, the home made version!

These are ridiculously easy and quick to make and are sure to be a crowd pleaser. They made my very German husband a very happy man.

I adapted the recipe from the King Arthur Flour recipe.

makes: 8 small; 4 large
takes: approx. 45 minutes rise time; 10 minute baking time
YOU WILL NEED:
2 1/2 cups bread flour (for that extra chewiness, but you can use all-purpose)
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water

For the Topping:
salt (kosher or otherwise)
2 T. melted butter

For the soda bath:
2 T. baking soda per cup of very hot water
(I used 10 T. soda and 5 cups water)

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast in your mixer with a bread hook or by hand.  Pour the warm water over it all, mix it together, then knead for 5 minutes (or run in the mixer for 5 minutes), or until the dough sticks together.
Ball it up, dust it with flour, and put it in a gallon ziploc bag or a flour-dusted bowl covered with plastic wrap.  Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Section the dough ball into 8 equal pieces for small pretzels and 4 equal pieces for large ones.  Let them rest uncovered for 5 to10 minutes.

While they are resting, in a baking pan or bowl (you'll be floating pretzels in it, so size accordingly), mix the soda and hot water until baking soda is dissolved.

Roll each pretzel piece into a long strip.  You can either twist into a pretzel shape or cut into pieces for pretzel bites.  I made a few of mine tightly twisted so that I could use them as hamburger buns - definitely worth a try!

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Once you have enough to fit into the soda water bath, drop them in and let them sit for about 2 minutes.

Put them onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. 

Bake at 475' for 8-10 mins. or until golden brown.  Brush with melted butter as soon as they're out of the oven and try your hardest to wait for them to cool!

VARIATIONS:
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
Sprinkle with cocoa powder and sugar
Mix diced jalapenos into the dough and top with a bit of shredded cheese
Mix dried cranberries into the dough and sprinkle with turbinado sugar
Mix chocolate chips into the dough
Mix a 1 T.  mustard into the dough
Mix 1 clove minced garlic into the dough

The possibilities are almost endless!