Pretzels
#6
  Re: (...)
Hey all, I made the pretzels from Issue 23 last night. We tried them with 3 different toppings: pretzel salt, cinnamon and sugar, and a brown mustard/Parmesan combo. The salt topping was my favorite, but my husband loved the mustard/cheese. The kids all went nuts over the cinnamon and sugar (dipped in butter and cinnamon/sugar after baking).

The recipe said to bake them for 20 minutes, but I think that was too long. Maybe I'll bake them 15 minutes next time...I don't need them THAT brown!

I also think I boiled them a bit too long as they were a little chewier than I'd have liked. My little nieces were over and I got a bit distracted during the boiling! Oops. They were still very good though, and everyone said they were the best pretzels they ever had. They might be lying, but at least they're sweet.
Tammy
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#7
  Re: Pretzels by TwilightKitten (Hey all, I made the ...)
Oh Tammy, I just love pretzels, and I don't have Issue 23. Please, pretty please, post the recipe
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#8
  Re: Re: Pretzels by farnfam (Oh Tammy, I just lov...)
I sure will! I'm afraid it might take a little time though. I have to shop for dinner #2 today and call the darn Geek Squad to help me get back on the internet...although I'm really ticked at them! They told me I needed a new hard drive, but I didn't! Still, I do seem to need help getting back on my network...pooh.

edit: Ok, I typed it up...now I just have to figure how to get it online! The Geek Squad is coming tomorrow afternoon to hook me up to the network! Yay! Can you wait that long?
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#9
  Re: Re: Pretzels by TwilightKitten (I sure will! I'm afr...)
Basic Soft Pretzels from Issue 23

Makes 16 pretzels
Work time: 50 minutes
Rising Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

WHISK TOGETHER AND PROOF:
2 cups warm tap water (115 degrees)
1 t. molasses
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 t)

STIR IN; KNEAD, RISE, AND SHAPE:
2 T. rye flour
1 T. Kosher salt
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
BRING TO BOIL; ADD PRETZELS:
10 cups water
3 T. Baking soda
BRUSH PRETZELS WITH:
Milk
SPRINKLE WITH; BAKE:
Coarse salt (pretzel salt available from baker’s catalogue..if you don’t have pretzel salt, you can use sea salt or kosher, but go easy-it will have a stronger taste than pretzel salt)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the molasses into the water, then add yeast. Let mixture sit at room temperature until it “blooms”, 10 minutes. This gives the yeast a head start so it’s easier to work with later. No bloom? The yeast is too old or the water too hot.

2. Add rye flour, salt, and as much all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture as you can mix in with a spoon, about 4-5 cups. (You can do the mixing with a stand mixer, too.)

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by folding dough in half and pushing it together with heels of your hands. Knead until smooth, adding flour as needed, 10-15 minutes.

4. Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 35 minutes.

HAS IT DOUBLED? Here’s a test to see if the dough has risen enough. Give the dough a poke with your finger. If you leave a hole in the dough, it’s ready. If the dough bounces back, it needs to rise a while longer.

5. Punch down the dough and divide in half. A bench knife is good for this. Divide each half again for a total of 4 equal sections. Then cut each section into 4 equal pieces. You will now have a total of 16 pieces of dough.

6. Working with one ball at a time (keep the rest covered), roll it into a 24" length. Use water to keep your work surface tacky.

Now take the 24" rope and shape it into a horseshoe or a letter “U”.

Take the open ends of the horseshoe and twist them together just once.

Bring the twisted ends over the loop of the horseshoe and press firmly to seal them. Repeat with remaining portions of the dough.

7. Place the formed pretzels on two baking sheets (8 per sheet) greased with nonstick cooking spray. Space them so they have room to rise. Cover and rise 15 minutes or until slightly poofy. While pretzels rise, preheat oven to 450 degrees. And put a roasting pan in the oven for ice (it will create steam).

8. In a 12" pan at least 3" deep, bring 10 cups water to a boil; stir in 3 T. Baking soda. Add three pretzels to the pan and boil until they puff slightly and rise to the top, about 30 seconds.

9. Flip pretzels and boil 30 seconds more. Using a flat slotted spatula or skimmer, transfer pretzels back to baking sheets greased with nonstick spray. Repeat with remaining pretzels.

10. Brush pretzels with milk and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt (or choose a topping). The milk is like glue for the topping and makes the pretzel look glossy when baked.

11. Bake pretzels, one sheet at a time, on the middle rack of the oven. The pan for the ice should be on the rack underneath it. Just before baking, dump ice cubes into roasting pan for steam.

12. Bake pretzels 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet; cool slightly on a rack. Add more ice to the steam pan and bake second batch. Pretzels taste best when warm.

Here’s how to enjoy them later. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a resealable plactic bag. Reheat at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on a baking sheet. They’ll be as good as fresh baked.

TOPPINGS:

Grated cheese: Drier cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar and Swiss are good as pretzel toppings.

Mustard: Whole grain or Dijon mustard spread onto pretzels gives them a flavorful, surprisingly mild mustard flavor after baking. You can even add salt, cheese, or other toppings over the mustard layer.

Seeds: How about sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or caraway seeds? Or try a mixture of sesame seeds and poppy seeds.

Cinnamon and Sugar: AFTER baking, dip a plain pretzel in melted butter and then into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.


I used instant yeast and skipped the whole proofing thing and it worked just fine. Enjoy!
Tammy
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#10
  Re: Re: Pretzels by TwilightKitten (Basic Soft Pretzels ...)
Thanks Tammy, these sound perfect
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