Super Bowl Soft Pretzels

[Warlady]

Soft Pretzels

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

2 tablespoons warm water, plus 1 1/3 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups flour
1/2 cup baking soda
Kosher salt
Mustard, as an accompaniment

In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 tablespoons warm water with the yeast to dissolve it. Then stir in the remaining warm water and brown sugar. Place bowl on a mixer and using a dough hook, gradually add the flour and continue mixing until it forms a ball. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead the dough to make it smooth. Use enough flour on your work surface so the dough is not sticky.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Butter 2 sheet pans. Bring 2 quarts of water and the baking soda to boil in a large saucepan. Cut dough up into golf ball size pieces. Then roll them into 1/2-inch thick worms 15" long. Form a U then cross the ends, twisting at the middle. Fold the ends back down to meet the U (which is now an O) and press to secure the dough. Drop it into the boiling water for 30 seconds then fish it out and place it on the greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.


Yield: 20 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Medium

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Oven needs to be hotter...475 F IIRC. I tried a similar one a few years back. Girlfriend de jour went bonkers over them...now why did she leave me?????

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

I made these last night and they turned out a bit doughy. How hot should the oven be? The five cups of flour seems too much and makes the dough very stiff. Of course, we can't rule out operator error but do you have any suggestions on how to tweek this recipe. I may not have baked them long enough and hot enough. Put in a 350 oven for 9 minutes.

[Warlady]

RANDy when all else fails read the directions ROTFL

[Warlady]

I made them today. It is much much easier if you make a log of the kneaded dough about 17" long and then roll it out to about 1/2" thick with a rolling pin then cut 1/2" strips and then roll them into worms. I also made a eggwhite/water solution and brushed it on them after I took them out of the boiling water then sprinkled the kosher salt on. I baked them at 475° for 8 minutes and they were perfect.