Soft pretzels are boiled in baking soda water like bagels before they’re covered in salt and baked. This gives them their chewy yet fluffy texture. I made a batch of soft pretzels one recent weekend and they were gone before Monday. They’re lovely to have for lunch alongside a kale salad.
Ingredients
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ cups hottest tap water
4 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp “Everything but the bagel” spice with salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion flakes
Dipping sauce:
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp mayo
Directions
Prepare the dough: in a small plastic bowl, mix the yeast and brown sugar, then add in 1/2 cup of the hottest tap water. Mix gently and briefly, then let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom the yeast so a thick foam forms on top.
In a large metal bowl, mix the flour and salt.
Add the remaining 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of the canola oil to the yeast mixture, then pour the whole thing into the middle of the flour mixture. Stir it all together until a dough forms, then knead it with your hands for about 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour until it has doubled.
When the dough has risen, cut it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a thin rope and twist each end towards the middle to make a pretzel shape, pinching the ends into the dough to hold it together. Or get creative and make any shape you like.
Make a dipping sauce by mixing together the honey, mustard, and mayo.
Boil a large pot of water and stir in the baking soda. Once it’s boiling nicely, drop the pretzels in a couple at a time. After 30 seconds, flip them over for another 30 seconds boiling on the other side.
Put the boiled pretzels on a baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the “Everything but the bagel” spice or any toppings you like. Bake at 450F for 10-15 minutes, until they’re nice and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and enjoy warm with the dipping sauce and perhaps a side salad.
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