Recipe Background
These homemade pretzels channel mall nostalgia with baking soda magic.
It was the week before my cousin's wedding, and we were knee-deep in pre-nuptial craziness at my childhood home. All the aunts, cousins, and family friends were in one whirlwind hive of laughter, gossip, and frantic last-minute sewing fixes. In the midst of this chaos, I decided to whip up a little nostalgia with a batch of homemade pretzels, a rendition of those famed ones we always snagged at the mall. Having recently discovered the secret of dissolving baking soda in warm water to achieve that iconic crust, I felt inspired by the simplicity and magic of it.
I remember kneading the dough on the worn kitchen counter as my aunts bustled around me, offering unsolicited advice between bites of cake tasting. The bread flour and all-purpose flour combo became my secret weapon, imparting the perfect chewiness. As the dough rested in a cozy corner, I prepared the second essential step—a warm bath of baking soda water, which transformed each pretzel into its signature golden delight. Once they were dipped, shaped, and baked to perfection, a brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of coarse salt brought them to life.
When the aroma of baking pretzels started to dance through the air, it momentarily paused the pandemonium. My cousin’s anxious fretting over the seating arrangement melted into a grin as she stole a warm pretzel off the tray. These impromptu treats added a touch of comfort to the hectic pre-wedding household, reminding us all of simpler times spent at Auntie Anne's® while shopping until we dropped.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups warm water divided
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup bread flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- coarse salt to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the active dry yeast into 1 1/2 cups of the warm water until it is fully dissolved.
- Add the brown sugar and the salt, stirring until well-dissolved.
- Add the bread flour and the all-purpose flour and knead by hand until a smooth and elastic dough forms.
- Allow the dough mixture to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the baking soda water bath by combining the remaining warm water and the baking soda in a large bowl until the baking soda dissolves. This baking soda bath is essential in getting the distinctive pretzel exterior.
- After the dough has risen, pinch off bits of the dough and roll each pinched piece into a long rope-like shape, which should be about 1/2-inch-thick.
- Shape the dough rope into a pretzel.
- Dip the dough pretzel into the baking soda bath and then place it onto the prepared baking tray.
- Repeat these steps until all of the dough has been used.
- Set the baking sheets aside and allow the pretzels to rise again for 30 minutes.
- Bake the pretzels in the oven until they are golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
- Brush the pretzels with the melted butter and sprinkle them with the coarse salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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