Yummy SOFT Pretzels!

Shopping list:
Yeast
Sugar
Salt
Butter/margarine
Water
Flour
Coarse salt
Baking soda
Saucepan, not aluminum
Large spoon with holes
Cookie sheet
Crisco
And... an oven!

I'm going to try and simplify the directions I found because they were a bunch of mumbo jumbo!



For three dozen six inch sticks or one dozen six inch pretzels

1 TBSP yeast (I used very active yeast, I'm not sure if it makes a difference.)
1 TBSP sugar
1 TSP salt
2 TBSP softened butter margarine
1 CUP warm water
2 and 3/4 CUPS flour

Put yeast, sugar, salt, butter, ONE CUP of flour into a medium mixing bowl, pour in the water. Stir until smooth. Once smooth, add the additional 1 and 3/4 cup flour remaining and stir until mixed. When the mixture is too stiff to stir with a spoon begin kneading. Knead the dough until it is smooth. When it doesn't stick to your fingers or the bowl, you're ready for the next step!

Allow the dough to rise, in attempts to double it's height.

While the dough is rising grease a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Mix the baking soda (5 TSP) and water (4 CUPs) in a non aluminum saucepan.

When the dough has risen, punch down and knead a few times. Divide and roll to make pretzel shapes, or sticks. (I even made balls.) After making desired shape, place them into the baking soda mixture.

Let the pretzels boil for one minute, then flip them over with the spoon, and allow them to boil for another minute. The boiling step gives them a firm skin and adds some flavor. Not boiling them long enough leaves them too soft and allows them to rise too much. Boiling too long makes them tough.

Take them out of the saucepan and put them on the cookie sheet. When all the pretzels are done, you can sprinkle salt on them. I did cinnamon and sugar for the girls and they loved them. Though appearing burt they were not.

Allow the pretzels to cook for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Viola, you have pretzels!

(Alex crushed some garlic, mixed in some butter, and made a 'garlic butter' dip. The possibilities are endless!!)