Homemade Pretzels

Homemade Pretzels

Homemade Pretzels

Making fresh pretzels is fun, these homemade pretzels are easy to prepare and taste superb on their own or try them with a tasty cheese, tomato or mustard dip.

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 packet dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter softened
1/2 cup baking soda
1 liter water

For the egg wash
Mix 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water

Method

Pre heat oven to 220'C

Put 2 cups of flour in a large bowl
Make a well in the middle and put in butter, warm water, milk, sugar and yeast
Mix the liquid in the center of the bowl and sprinkle some of the flour from the side of the bowl over the liquid
Cover for 15 minutes to let the yeast activate

Add 2 cups of flour and salt
Stir until the liquid is absorbed by the flour
Knead the dough for 10 minutes
Cover and let the dough sit for about 20 minutes

Divide the dough to 8 pieces
Roll the dough out one at a time to make a 20 inch long rope
Take the two ends of the rope and twist, pull up the ends and press it into the top to form a  pretzel shape

Now that you have the pretzel
In a large pot boil one liter of water and carefully add baking soda, it will bubble furiously as soon as you put the soda in.
Remove from the heat
Dip the pretzels one at a time into the soda water for 30 seconds

Carefully place the pretzels onto a bake tray lined with parchment paper
Brush with egg wash and course salt

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the pretzels turn to a nice golden brown.