I must be out of my mind. It seems that even the deep August heat can’t curb my constant craving for homemade carbohydrate treats.
Last week I slaved over a pot of 350 degree vegetable oil to fry some fresh doughnuts and this week I hovered over a pot of boiling water cooking up some traditional soft pretzels.
I will admit that these pretzels weren’t nearly as satisfying as the homemade doughnuts. I found the shaping and the subsequent boiling a little bit trying of my patience. I realized half way into the pretzel making process that I was in not mood for shaping and tending to yeasted dough. I was in the mood for instant carb gratification. I should have just hit up the drive through for some french fries.
Begrudgingly, the pretzels got made and adorned with grill seasoning instead of pretzel salt. I like the course flakes of salt, pepper and spices. Of course, served warm with a little brown mustard, my frustrations mostly melted away. The mess in my kitchen…. that was another story entirely.
Do I sound cranky? I certainly don’t mean to.
I say give these pretzels a try if you have a lazy Saturday afternoon, sometime in cool, crisp late October, not (not!) mid August. Silly silly Joy the Baker.
For a much cooler treat check out my Blueberry Mango Frozen MiniPops over at FoodProof.
Soft Seasoned Pretzels
adapted from Gourmet, March 2004
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pretzel salt or grill seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon baking soda (add it to the boiling water just before throwing in the pretzel dough!)
Stir together sugar, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105 to 110°F) in a glass measuring cup, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
Whisk together 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon table salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough. Dust work surface with 1 tablespoon flour, then turn out dough and knead, gradually dusting with just enough additional flour to make a smooth sticky dough, about 8 minutes. (Dough needs to be somewhat sticky to facilitate rolling and forming into pretzels).
Return dough to bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Using your palms, roll 1 piece back and forth on a clean dry work surface into a rope about 24 inches long. If dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust them with flour. Twist dough into a pretzel shape. (Dough will retract as you form the pretzel.)
Transfer pretzel with your hands to an oiled baking sheet and form 7 more pretzels in same manner with remaining dough, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.
Let pretzels stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a wide 6-quart pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add heaping tablespoon of baking soda.
Using both hands, carefully add 3 pretzels, 1 at a time, to boiling water and cook, turning over once with tongs, until pretzels are puffed and shape is set, about 3 minutes. Transfer parboiled pretzels to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining 5 pretzels in 2 batches.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and oil paper, then arrange pretzels on sheet. Brush pretzels lightly with some of egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown and lightly crusted, about 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve warm.
Cooks’ notes:
• Dough can be mixed and kneaded in a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook.
• Pretzels are best the day they are made. (When they are kept overnight, salt may dissolve.)
August 24th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I LOVE pretzels. Do you think one could get away with whole wheat flour?
August 25th, 2008 at 12:55 am
I was shocked to see no baking soda in your water; how come? hilarious again as I made miniature ones(you can feel less guilty about eating 5 maybe?) this weekend- only I think I put too much b.s. in, the water bubbled/foamed 6 inches above my pot and the pretzels were each covered with little bubbles too-comedic, but very overwhelming trying to fish the darn things out! none the less, still yummy. These look great and have less ingredients than the two recipes I currently use! What seasoning brand do you use?
August 25th, 2008 at 2:06 am
i’ve tried so many recipes with no success. yours looks way simpler than those and well-explained. thanks. gonna try it for sure.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Sometimes a girl has to have carbs right away… But these sound so good, I wouldn’t mind the wait!
August 25th, 2008 at 4:17 am
I love pretzels (I come from Alsace in France) and this recipe looks gorgeous. I should try do bake some at home myself!
August 25th, 2008 at 4:33 am
hi Joy!
how do you tie up these beautiful pretzels? Could you make a video of you tying it?
thanks!
August 25th, 2008 at 5:44 am
I’m curious about the baking soda too - did you use it? Your pretzels did turn out nice and golden brown, so I suspect you did. Home made pretzels certainly are better than anything you can buy. Fun treat for October - roll out the pretzel dough into a strip about 1 1/2″ wide and wrap around a sausage. Seal up the ends, then boil in the water/baking soda and bake as usual - presto! Octoberfest Sausage Pretzel Dogs. Love the post as usual.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Homemade pretzels are like crack to me. I have made myself a rule that I can’t make them unless I have somewhere to take them, because I will eat all of them right away otherwise. The grill seasoning instead of salt sounds fabulous too!
August 25th, 2008 at 7:46 am
I like your blog!
And YUM YUM YUM!!! I am SO craving pretzels right now! Mmm salty and doughy. *drooooool*
August 25th, 2008 at 8:01 am
i love soft pretzels, sans salt. i’m weird, i know.
these look fantastic.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Yum! I absolutely LOVE pretzels. They look delicous, but of course ALL your goodies look (and I’m sure taste) AMAZING. Have you ever tried putting baking soda in with the warm water? I do this, and it makes the pretzels so light and delicious. You rock Joy! Please never ever stop baking!
August 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am
wow…this actually looks good! hmmm…wish i could eat them. ;oP
August 25th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Pretzels are on our list of things to make. I think you just bumped them to the top! They look so good!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:47 am
These are so impressive! I’m attempting to eat packaged hard pretzels as a substitute and it’s just now working!! Oh, if only I weren’t deathly afraid of dough!
August 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Zak- I think you could totally get away with whole wheat flour. For maybe less of a wheaty taste try white whole wheat. Goodness!
Sarah, Megan and Erik- Forgive me! I forgot all about the baking soda. Yes, I added baking soda to the water! Thanks for the reminder… you guys are on it!
August 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Sarah- I used McCormick Grill Mates. The same stuff Rachel Ray is always talking about.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I never make those on purpose. I would so eat the whole bunch.
August 25th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Now you see, Joy… I want to feel bad for you. I really do. But honestly, we might be in a fight.
1) Your Mocha Rum Cake recipe (complete with photos I wanted to enter into a serious, committed relationship with), was simply to hard to resist. I made that cake on a hot summer afternoon in a Queens kitchen which is almost as big as a running sneaker. I almost died of heat stroke, Joy.
2) My dinner that night was 3 to 4 huge slices of that gift from above. While it tasted like heaven, I proceeded to basically trip all night long from the copious amounts of chocolate and sugar. I slept for maybe 2 hours.
3) I took the rest of the Mocha Rum Crack into the office for an NYC outdoor movie night with friends. When my friends asked me if I made the glaze and I said no, they teased me for skipping it. Perhaps if I had more sleep the night before I wouldn’t have snapped at their innocent jokes, “Well don’t eat it then!!”
By the time the movie came around and I drank a 6 pack of coca-cola, I was back to my regular self. However, we still have some healing to do. But I will fight for this relationship Joy, because I love this blog so much.
-Sarah
August 25th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Joy,
) more sober source like say… Martha? No wait… joy the baker! RR is neurotic and drives me nuts.
I loathe loathe LOATHE RR… she drives me INSANE- worse than both my kids screaming at me at the top of my lungs. Her EVOO crap and everything else makes me want to vomit- I’d much rather take my information from a much (seemingly!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Oh sweet mercy. Those look amazing Joy! The seasoning is like a work of art. You bring these and i’ll get the wine. Girls’ night, Stat. xo
August 26th, 2008 at 5:46 am
these pretzels look fantastic and WELL WORTH the effort
haha, I knew the glass display at Auntie Anne’s was an optical illusion. Seriously… I’ve never seen such pretzel twisting capabilities! I’d rather take the time at home and fumble a bit with the twisting (it’s all part of the experience).
August 26th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Your pictures make my mouth water. I cant wait for some lazy Saturday, but I’m afraid it’s months away still.
107 degrees here on Thursday. But rest asured, I bookmarked these!
August 26th, 2008 at 8:49 am
My 14 month old is on some sort of hunger strike, throwing all her food off the high chair etc. It seems like the only thing she wants to eat these days, besides milk, are soft pretzels! I’ve gotten her a couple baldies at the mall, but she deserves home made! If I can make her a three food tall Eiffel Tower cake for her birthday, I can make her some homemade pretzels! Thank you Joy for the inspiration!
August 26th, 2008 at 8:50 am
i make mine slightly differently but i agree — these are my favorite carb-tastic snack. last time i made them, i added about a tsp of garlic powder to the pretzel dough and, if you can believe it, they were even better!
August 26th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Ms. Sarah jackson- I think we’ve both learned a lesson from your trials. Always, always, always make the glaze. Simple. No more fighting!
Jill- We so need a girls night!! Do you have time before school starts! Oh my school starts soon!
Catherine-Alexa- Your baby girl is on a hunger strike!? That’s crazy. You should make her some yummy homemade pretzels for sure. Did I ever write you back about your Eiffel Tower cake? It was AMAZING! I think I owe you an email. Forgive me!
Katy- Garlic powder sounds like such a great idea. When I try these again I’ll have to remember that. Excellent trick!
August 26th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Joy,
You are forgiven because 1, I should have made the glaze, (but I was still high as a kite from that Mocha Rum the next day!), and 2, because you said I looked like a kitten. Kittens are excellent.
And seriously, you want some of that Graham Cracker goodness?? You got it..just send me the info, girl!
Best Baking Blog Ever. B-cubed-E.
-Sarah
August 26th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Mmmmmm…soft pretzels! I would slave over a hot pot of boiling water too for these lovelies. I made mini soft pretzels once (I don’t remember what recipe I used) with 1/2 whole wheat & 1/2 white whole wheat flour…seemed to work perfectly! I’ll have to use your seasoning advice for next time.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I’m always so late to post here, but I just love these. It would be embarassing how much mustard I would put on my plate for ONE pretzel.
August 26th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I love soft pretzels and have not had them in so long. This recipe sounds (and the photos look) perfect - I’ll have to make these, I think!
August 26th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Ok.
That was the sound of me making up my mind. I have to do these pretzels. Tomorrow.
Thanks!
August 27th, 2008 at 4:39 am
I love, love, love homemade soft pretzels. Yours look amazing!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I LOVE homemade pretzels! The topping you added brought them to the next level too!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
didn t know that soft pretzel exist. I usually buy the readymade crisp ones. These look more tasteful and good. I like the photos.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Just wanted to let you know I made these last night. THey were a bit tough to turn over without breaking during the boiling process before baking, but they turned out. And the ones that did break were great because then I had little pretzel bits! I opted for dipping half of them in cinnamon and sugar after baking and the other half I cooked with grated sharp cheddar cheese on top. Yumm! It’s always a fun process to try something new.
August 28th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Making your own pretzels sounds like fun and they look great!
August 31st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
This is the second pretzel post I’ve read today and man oh man how I miss a good pretzel! I haven’t had soft pretzels in years…it used to be a necessity every time I went to either a baseball game or NYC. I’ll have to try this!
September 6th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
You made soft pretzels? I’m impressed! They look sooo good!
September 10th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
These look SOOO good! I’ll be linking to these!
September 10th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Yum!
I can taste them, covered in some nice coarse Kosher salt….
(see the drool?)
September 10th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Ok, how much baking soda? We need to know the amount so they will taste good. Thanks
September 11th, 2008 at 9:16 am
I am printing this for sure! Just last night I made apple pie as asked for by my grandson! Next time, he already wants cherry pie…..but once it cools off a bit, he will love these, I’m sure and I know his Daddy will too (and since my DD doesn’t cook—well, maybe once a week) I know this will be a fun project with Chandler. One time we made the beer bread, and he wanted to be sure he could eat it since it had beer in it! He will enjoy “tying” these up!
Thanks!
Teri
http://www.sandtcreations.com/wordpress
September 12th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Hi Joy, found your website via notmartha. I remember making pretzels as a kid, and after seeing your post, made some tonight. Used Old Bay on some of them, so tasty!! Thanks for posting the recipe!
September 16th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I am wondering if you know of a good way to heat up pretzels after they have been frozen? We are needing to use a microwave, but there must be a trick for heating them in there?
September 19th, 2008 at 10:24 am
[...] The Quest: SOFT SEASONED PRETZELS (from Joy The Baker) Chewy, warm and delicious, right? But with all the yeasting and the boiling [...]
September 24th, 2008 at 6:15 am
[...] Soft Seasoned Pretzels [...]
September 27th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I just got done making them and they taste amazing. I opted to make 13 smaller ones though (I’m having people over tonight.) Thanks again!
September 28th, 2008 at 6:55 am
These look so awesome, and as the weather turns cooler, the temptation will only be greater (but it will be easier to exercise!)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
the second we put the first batch of pretzels in the oven i looked down and saw the baking soda with the empty measuring spoon next to it! i cant believe we forgot to put it in….waiting for the first batch to be done in the oven. What exactly happens if theres no baking soda added?
btw loooove your whole site this is the first of many bookmarked recipes me and my boyfriend are making =)
October 1st, 2008 at 11:53 am
with the boiling water, how much water do i need to boil, because it says you have to turn the pretzels over. is it and inch or two of water? or is it half a pot?
October 1st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
norka- the baking soda in the water will only affect the browning of the pretzels. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the taste. how did your pretzels turn out!?
autumn- i would say half a pot. about 4-5 inches deep. good luck! let me know how they turn out!
October 1st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
i am in the process of letting the dough rise right now. i added the garlic powder like the suggestion above. lets see how they come out. and thank you for clarifying the amount of water.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I just finished the pretzels. And they came out AMAZING!!!! I will be using this recipe quite often. I am putting it in my recipe book. yummy!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
what a relief to hear that. And actually yeah our pretzels were definitely not brown like yours. I have never made any time of yeast bread and let me tell you this went WAY easier than i thought it would, super fun you seem to get attached to them in a way. We made a couple with cinnamon sugar on top and one with garlic and cheese =D WHOOO!! im going on a joy the baker spree now, as if i needed anymore reasons to..how does it feel to be a baking celebrity like you?
October 6th, 2008 at 9:43 am
First and foremost, your blog overall is fantastic! Secondly I wanted to say that these look delicious, and I am going to attempt making them tonight for my bread-loving husband (as it is his b-day). Can’t wait to taste how they turn out!
October 15th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Just finished making your pretzels. Everything seemed hunky dory until I tasted one. They are not bad but I think you made a mistake in your recipe. You didn’t have the Tablespoon of salt with your original list of ingredients. That added salt to the flower before mixing is A BIT TOO MUCH SALT. Kinda ruined them, still going to eat them, just can’t add salt on top(which defines a pretzel), so you might want to change the amount of added salt. Maybe you just made a mistake, but other then that they came out okay. Came out a little too crispy so your cooking time might be too long. Sorry if I sound frustrated, I am, but I seems to be cursed
October 15th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Hey Leo- I’m so sorry you had such a hard time with the pretzels. I know it’s no fun to work so hard some something, especially a yeasted dough, and then have it come out wrong. I’m really sorry.
I seem to remember thinking the tablespoon of salt was a great deal, but I added it with no problems.
Here is the original recipe. It also suggests the same amount of salt and baking time.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/NEW-YORK-PRETZELS-109221
I understand your frustration. Let me know if you have any other problems!
October 17th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
[...] to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Joy the Baker has adapted a recipe to make these delicious soft seasoned pretzels. [ via Not Martha [...]
October 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
[...] Tasty Soft Pretzels from Scratch Almost 2 months ago, Joy the Baker posted a recipe for Seasoned Soft Pretzels at her blog. They looked super [...]
November 5th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Tks for the reply. I did them a second time without the tbl salt. Kept an eye on them with the baking time (which I should have prolly done in the first place as you mentioned). Came out well, I’m sure there is a more precise recipe but your not far off. Anti annes(forgive the spelling) pretzels are good(commercially). These are a close replica to them…Much more healthy of-course. I read John Trudeau “Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About” book. That’s what go me started with all this. But if you think it came out okay with the added salt, you are most likely used to having too much salt in your diet. That’s all fine and dandy, the pretzels are an indulgence as it is. In my mind, you add the salt you want on top? Plus the fact you didn’t add it in your starting ingredients sounds like a spurt of the moment thing. But you gave me the means to correct what I did and come up with somthing good, tks. Didn’t know where to begin before :).