Homemade Soft Pretzels

My kids L~O~V~E pretzels.  OK, so do I {especially jalapeño ones like the one pictured below}.  I have been meaning to come up with a recipe we really like for a long time.  Why have I waited so long???  They really are not that complicated and they are SO worth it!  They are actually kind of fun to make!  Get creative and personalize them according to what YOU like!  What would you get yourself if you were actually at the pretzel shop?  Once you have the basic recipe down, it is so easy to do!  

Homemade Soft Pretzels

makes 12 pretzels

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda

4 cups hot water

4 Tbsp melted butter, for topping

Kosher salt, for topping

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough {I use my kitchen aide bread hook which makes my life very easy}. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. 

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. {I can never find a good place for dough to rise around here, so I warm the oven to 120-170 degrees, then turn it off.  It is then a perfect environment for dough to rise}.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope {about 24" long} and twist into a pretzel shape.

 Bring baking soda and water to a boil in a large skillet.  Place pretzels in the boiling solution 2 at a time for about 15-20 seconds.  Remove with a large spatula to a kitchen towel or paper towels to dry the excess water {to prevent the bottoms from burning}.  Place the pretzels on a greased baking sheet. 

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Melt 4 Tbsp. of butter.  As soon as you remove the pretzels from the oven, lightly brush them with butter using a pastry brush.  Immediately sprinkle them with kosher salt.

Enjoy plain or with a dipping sauce of your choice!  Our favorite is cheese sauce!

Variation: Add 1/4-1/3 c. of Jalapenos to the dough for spicy Jalapeno Pretzels!  This is a favorite of mine!  That is what you see in many of the pictures above!  You can get creative and add just about anything your heart desires to the dough!  Don't be afraid to experiment with other toppings too!  Parmesan cheese is a delicious coating instead of the kosher salt!