by Heinz Sladek

Created on: September 12, 2008   Last Updated: March 13, 2009

I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and soft pretzels were not only a comfort food but, a staple. You could not go anywhere within the city without finding a pretzel vendor on a corner offering a sensational sensory experience for your nose and taste buds. When I moved to Texas, soft pretzels were one of the things that I missed about Philly and I was able to replicate them for my family in my own kitchen.

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients 1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt 2 tbsp butter, softened

1 cup warm water

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp baking soda Course Kosher Salt (for sprinkling on pretzels before baking)

Procedure:

In a mixing bowl, mix together the dry yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour. Pour in softened butter and warm water. Stir the mixture until smooth, and the yeast starts to bubble.

Add the rest of the flour and move to a floured work surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky, continue to add small amounts of flour until you get a non sticky smooth dough consistency.

Place the dough in a greased glass or plastic bowl, cover, place in a warm dry place, and allow to rise until doubled. (about 1 hour)

Punch the dough down, knead into a ball and then divide it into 12 to 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a stick that measures approximately 6 inches and then shape each stick into the shape of a pretzel.

In a stock pot boil 4 cups of water with the baking soda. Drop pretzels into boiling water mixture and allow the pretzels to cook for about 1 minute, flip with a slotted spoon and the boil for another minute (this gives the pretzel that wonderful chewiness that we equate with soft pretzels).

Take out with a slotted spoon, drain on a cooling rack and then place on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle pretzels with course kosher salt.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Whether you like your pretzels with yellow or brown mustard or just plain, this recipe will quickly become a family favorite. So, gather the family and twist some pretzels today.

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