The Best Thing I’ve Ever Made: Homemade Pretzels
Auntie Anne’s Copy-cat Recipe:
Sunday in this new congregation we are out of church at 11:30. Having all Sunday to ourselves is a new concept and we’re still trying to figure out what to do with all our time. I think it may be just the opportunity I need to try out all the recipes I’ve pinned or stashed away. Here’s one of our new absolute favorites; the first thing out of my mouth after a bite was “This might be the best thing I’ve ever made.” Just think, butter, warm, pull-apart bread topped in cinnamon and sugar.
Makes 12
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons fine salt
—
1/3 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
Salt
8 tablespoons butter (melted in a shallow dish)
- Warm the milk up in the microwave or on the stove for just about one and a half minutes. It should be about 110º. If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably keep your finger in it.
- Stir in the yeast (to the milk) and let it sit for about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and sugar.
- Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and the add the fine salt. Kneed for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand. Put it in a greased bowl and cover with greased cling wrap. Let rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450º. Divide dough into 12 lumps.
- Roll them all out as thin as you can.
- Combine the warm water and baking soda in a wide bowl.
- Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then dip in the baking soda water.
- Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned. Dip each in the melted butter while hot.
- Optional: Roll/dip in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar right after dipped in butter. Heavenly.
So when we made these we kind of missed the memo on “ROLL THEM OUT AS THIN AS YOU CAN.” So while it may not look like a traditional pretzel, it tastes AMAZING! Definitely dip it in cinnamon and sugar at least one. If you master the rolling them out thin part let me know; we’re still working on that here 🙂
Happy Friday!
I hope you have an amazing weekend and if you didn’t know that I have a friend who is an NYC fashion designer, then you CLEARLY didn’t read my post yesterday. Which also means you haven’t entered this giveaway. Get on both of those. Stat.
