Hot Soft Pretzels Food

HOT BUTTERED SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• For the water: depending on season, use the greater amount in the winter (1 cup), the lesser amount in the summer (7/8 cup), and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.
• To make dough by hand, or with a mixer: Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat until well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it's soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough and place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
• To make dough with a bread machine: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for dough or manual, and press Start. Allow the dough to proceed through its kneading cycle (no need to let it rise), then cancel the machine, flour the dough, and give it a rest in a plastic bag, as instructed above.
• To make dough with a food processor: Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process for 5 seconds. Add the water, and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds. Place a handful of flour in a bowl, scoop the slack dough into the bowl, and shape the dough into a ball, coating it with the flour. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag, close the bag loosely, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the topping: Combine the boiling water and baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally (or almost totally) dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm (or cooler).
• Preheat your oven to 475°F Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable oil spray, or lining it with parchment paper.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each).
• Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour the baking soda/water into a 9" square pan.
• Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 3" long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Working with 4 pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. This baking soda "bath" will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.
• Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt, if desired. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
• Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

HOT SOFT PRETZELS FILLED WITH CREAM CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar and 1-1/2 cups warm water.
• Place flour and salt in food processor with metal blade and blend by pressing the pulse a couple of times, pour water mixture through feed tube while machine is running until smooth and elastic, about 40 seconds.
• The dough will leave the side of the bowl.
• If dough is too wet add more flour or if too dry add more water.
• Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface.
• Cover, and let rise for one hour.
• Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
• After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin.
• (if filling with cream cheese roll one 3 foot piece flat. Pipe on cheese leaving edges free (to seal back into a rope) Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution.
• Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt, or cinnamon sugar and chopped roasted almonds.

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.

HOT SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine yeast, 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, and water and let stand 5 minutes until foamy and bubbly. Add remaining sugar and salt and stir well. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing by hand until well incorporated. Knead dough until smooth about 7 minutes and has a sheen. Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered, for 40 minutes in a warm place.
• Dust your work surface with flour and cornmeal. Divide dough into approximately 12 pieces and roll out to desired length and thickness. (Note: thinner=crispier). Form dough into pretzel-shapes and transfer to a baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal. Allow pretzels to rise for 30 minutes, uncovered.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Carefully transfer risen pretzels to boiling water with a spatula and boil on one side for 2 minutes, flip and boil other side for 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer boiled pretzels to a rack to drain for 1 minute. Arrange pretzels on a baking sheet, lightly dusted with cornmeal, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

SOFT HOMEMADE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Stir yeast into 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; beat in flour, sugar, shortening, and salt to make a dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
• Place dough into a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 18 to 20 inches long.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Shape each rope of dough into a pretzel on the prepared baking sheet; let pretzels rest for 5 minutes. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and brush yolk mixture over each pretzel; sprinkle each with coarse salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

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.

HOT SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and yeast, stirring to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• 2. Stir in the 2 tablespoons sugar, the oil, and the salt. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1 cup bread flour, stirring until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
• 3. Using the 3 to 4 tablespoons of bread flour, lightly flour a flat surface. Turn out the dough. Knead for 6 to 7 minutes, gradually adding, if needed, enough of the remaining 1/2 cup bread flour to make the dough smooth and elastic. (The dough shouldn't be dry or stick to the surface. You may not need any of the additional 1/2 cup bread flour, or you may need the entire amount if the dough is too sticky.)
• 4. Using cooking spray, lightly spray a large bowl and a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the top of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat all sides with the cooking spray. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap with the sprayed side down. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place (about 85°F) for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
• 5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with cooking parchment. Set aside.
• 6. Punch the dough down. Divide it into 12 equal pieces. Using a small amount of bread flour, lightly flour a flat surface. Roll each piece of dough into an 18-inch rope. Working with one rope, at a point about 4 inches from each end, cross one end of the rope over the other to form a circle with two 4-inch-long tails. Bring the tails together and twist them once. Lift the twist, folding the dough to the opposite side of the circle so that the tails slightly overlap the circle, giving it the shape of a pretzel. Place the pretzel on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough ropes, spacing the pretzels 1 inch apart. Set aside.
• 7. In a small bowl, using a fork, beat the egg yolk and water together. Set aside.
• 8. In a separate small bowl, stir together the ingredients for either topping.
• 9. Brush the yolk mixture over the top of the pretzels. Sprinkle the pretzels with the topping.
• 10. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot. Transfer leftovers to a cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• 11. Store in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 20 seconds.