Homemade Crunchy Pretzels Food

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

PRETZELS - HARD AND SOFT

Steps:

• SOFT PRETZELS:
• Dissolve yeast in water, add salt and sugar.
• Blend in all the flour and knead until smooth.
• When smooth, cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes. Twist ropes into conventional pretzel shapes and place on a paper-lined cookie sheet.
• Brush pretzels with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until brown. These do not keep long.
• HARD PRETZELS:
• Do everthing above, but decrease water to 1-1/4 cups and add 1/4 cup of melted butter.
• Make pretzels smaller and bake until browned.
• These pretzels will stay good for months in a tight container.

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Put the flour, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and mix together to combine. In a large jug, mix together 300ml lukewarm water and the butter. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the water, mixing together to form a rough dough.
• Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins or until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and set aside until doubled in size, about 1hr.
• Once risen, knock out the air bubbles in the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a long rope about 60cm long.
• To form into pretzels, lay the rope in a U-shape with the curve pointing towards you. Take the two ends and cross them over.
• Take the ends, lift them backwards and press them into the curve of the U-shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Carefully place the pretzels on a baking tray lined with parchment and lightly greased with oil. Cover lightly with oiled cling film. Set aside for about 20 mins until puffy (not fully risen like bread dough).
• Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, bring to the boil, add the baked bicarbonate of soda, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. One at a time, carefully lift the pretzels into the pan and cook for 20 secs per side. The pretzels will rise to the surface; flip with a slotted spoon.
• Use the spoon to gently lift the pretzels from the pan and return them to the baking tray. Once they have all been cooked in the water, lightly brush with the egg and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a rich, dark brown. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Best served on the day made but can be frozen for up to 1 month.

HOMEMADE PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add flour and salt; stir to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. , Punch dough down and divide into 20 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 15-in. long strip; twist into a pretzel shape. Combine baking soda and cold water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt. , Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

PRETZEL CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 and line a jelly roll pan with foil.
• Break up pretzels on pan.
• Melt butter.
• Add brown sugar and stir well.
• Pour over pretzels and stir until well coated.
• Bake 5 minutes.
• Cool and break apart as desired.

ALTON BROWN'S SOFT (OR CRUNCHY) PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, sugar, salt and water.
• In the bowl of a large mixer with the hook attachment, combine flour, dry ingredients and melted butter Mix until all ingredients come together. Knead on medium speed for 4-5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and form into ball. Lightly spray or oil bowl, return dough and cover with a tea towel for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
• Separate dough into 8 equally sized pieces.
• In a large, wide pan, combine 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 2/3 cups of baking soda.
• Lightly wet hands to help with formation of "logs" of dough. Roll each piece into a 24" piece. Form into a traditional pretzel shape - or any shape you wish. Place onto baking sheet and cover with a barely damp towel.
• Two at a time, "bathe" pretzels in the water and baking soda mixture for 30 seconds and remove back to the baking sheets.
• Beat an egg and brush each "boiled" pretzel with the glaze, then sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 14-15 minutes, until mahogany brown. Remove and cool. Delicious hot, warm or cooled.
• For crunchy pretzel rods, use the same ingredients EXCEPT increase the water in the dough to 1 3/4 cups and ELIMINATE the butter. Proceed as above but cut risen dough into 36 equal pieces and roll out to 14" and boil in plain water, then bake for 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a big bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and 1 1/3 cups warm water and let it sit until the yeast blooms, about 7 minutes. Add the melted butter, kosher salt, egg yolks, bread flour and all-purpose flour and knead the dough until smooth, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Brush the bowl and the dough with olive oil, set the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise on top of the fridge or in any warm, dry place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Make the pretzels: In a medium saucepan, mix the baking soda and 4 cups warm water until it is milky, then bring to a simmer over low heat. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover 3 baking sheets with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
• Punch down the dough. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each piece into a 2-foot-long rope. Lift the ends of the rope to make a "U," then cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle. Fold down the two ends and attach them to the bottom of the ?U? to form a pretzel shape.
• Working in batches, dip the pretzels into the simmering liquid for 30 seconds, flipping once. Remove using a spider or two wooden spoons and shake off any excess liquid; place on a prepared baking sheet. Lightly flour the pretzels, cover loosely in plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
• Brush the pretzels with the melted butter and use cooking spray to coat any little corners you can?t reach with butter. Sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with mustard.

CHINESE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches of oil to 385°F.
• Mix the dry ingredients together.
• Combine milk, water, and egg and mix well.
• Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix till well blended.
• Heat rosette iron in oil and dip into batter (do not submerge whole iron in batter just dip it till it barely touches the top of the iron,but does not go over the top) and place in oil.
• Gently shake the rosette iron to release it from iron.
• Heat iron briefly and repeat, till you have 3-4 pretzels in the pan.
• Cook until delicately brown, turning once.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Stir the batter occasionally as the cornstarch has a tendency to settle in the bottom and always heat the rosette iron before dipping in the batter.