Housewife Tutorials: Soft Pretzels

When I lived in Philly/South Jersey, I used to eat soft pretzels like they were going out of style. I actually lived next to a pretzel factory for about eight months. Then, for the five months that I worked at my (horrendous) office job, the administration used to bring in a huge box of soft pretzels almost every week, and sometimes more than once during the week. The constant influx of soft pretzels in my life definitely contributed to my weight gain during that period. However, since I haven't had a soft pretzel since my move to Charlotte over a year ago, I've been craving them lately. With midterms next week and my scholarship on the line, naturally I decided that I should make pretzels this weekend instead of devoting all of my time to studying.

Here's what you need:
1/2 c. warm water
1 t sugar
1 active dry yeast packet (I happened to have one left from the last time I made these pretzels...in 2012 when I was in undergrad. Ha!)

1 c. warm water
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt

3 3/4 c. flour

1 c. water
1/4 c. baking soda

kosher salt
butter

Here's what you do:
Stir 1/2 c. warm water and 1 t sugar in a bowl until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand 10 min, then stir to dissolve yeast.

In another bowl, stir 1 c. warm water with 1 T sugar until dissolved, then add yeast mixture.

Measure out flour and add 1/2 t salt. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the yeast mixture until stiff.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let stand for 10 minutes.

Divide into 12 equal parts. Roll into ropes/snakes and form into pretzel shapes.

Mix baking soda and water, then gently dip pretzels in the mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet (my sister really wanted to stress that part when she originally wrote down the recipe for me...Perhaps she once forgot this step when making them).

Preheat the oven to 425.

Sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. *NOTE: With my crazy gas stove, I actually had to bake them at 400 for 10 minutes, because it gets super hot. However, I have made them with the normal temp/time with less fiery ovens in the past.

Once out of the oven, brush with butter. Apparently one of my past roommates stole my basting brush, so I was forced to just slap some butter on with a knife like some sort of barbarian. (Mum, please add this to my birthday list!)

Now you have a delicious batch of homemade soft pretzels to enjoy with cheese, mustard, or plain! Share one with a friend, classmate, coworker, or roommate and impress them with your culinary prowess...Or share with no one. After all, they didn't put in the labor to make them. Go ahead, treat yo' self!

dissolved yeast

mixing in the flour

dividing the dough...technical difficulties are preventing me from easily rotating these pictures, but since I really do need to study, law school is going to beat OCD today

just dough, but making me want to eat them already!

not the prettiest batch I've ever made, but just as delicious