Not Your Average Pretzels

I love pretzels, but with nary a pretzel vendor next door, getting truly delish pretzels usually requires a trip to the mall. With summer break peeking its head around the corner this month, you’re bound to get a chance, sooner or later, to head out to your mall and get a good soft pretzel. However, if you’re more interested in having a great pretzel, and sooner, rather than later, then may I suggest this labor-worthy treasure that transforms a few simple ingredients and a dint of hard work into a pure culinary masterpiece. With these warm, homemade pretzels’ soft, airy texture, these are a work of art that will not only start off your summer with a bang and give you a new, delightful twist on the classic pretzel, but will also leave the town’s pretzel vendors one customer short, all summer long.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 Cups lukewarm water
• 1 (1/4-ounce) packet of Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar (Yep, even if you’re going for savory, sugar is still in the dough!)
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
• 3 1/4 Cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 Teaspoon white sugar
• coarse salt (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions (Makes six large pretzels)

1. Pour the lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Wait five minutes, then stir in the brown sugar, the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 2 cups of the flour. Stir the mixture quickly about 100 times.
2. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to create a semi-firm dough.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 7 to 8 minutes. Be sure to dust the surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking too much.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around to coat it. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place until the dough is nearly twice as big, which should take about 45 minutes.
5. Lightly grease a large, heavy, shiny (not dark) baking sheet with butter.
6. When the dough has risen, knead it for 1 minute on a flour-dusted surface.
7. Slit the dough in half, then put one half back in the bowl and re-cover with plastic wrap.
8. Divide the other half of the dough into three equal balls and let them rest for five minutes.
9. Roll each ball under your palms and outstretched fingers until it's about three feet long and 1/2 inch thick.
10. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Shape the ropes of dough by making a circle and twisting the ends at the top, then folding the ends back over the circle and pinching the dough.
11. Place the pretzels on the baking sheet, leaving a good amount of space in between them, because they rise quickly in the oven.
12. Microwave half a cup of water for one minute and mix the white sugar in. Lightly brush the water mixture over the pretzels, then top them with coarse salt, cinnamon sugar, or whatever else you’d like to top them with! Let the pretzels rest for 10 minutes.
13. Bake the pretzels for about 12 to 15 minutes. Start shaping the other half of the dough into three more pretzels.
14. Place a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil under a wire rack and transfer the baked pretzels to the rack. Using a pastry brush, apply melted butter liberally over the pretzels, then sprinkle on more of your toppings.

Brittany Perry loves making delish homemade pretzels, which are the perfect way to celebrate her senior year graduation!