Soft Pretzels

Baseball season is finally here and what better way to launch the start to America’s favorite past-time than by bringing a taste of the ballpark into your home! I usually shy away from recipes that involve yeast and/or dough that has to double in size, as I’ve had my fair share of flour-flinging failures in the pizza dough department. But Alton Brown has done it once again, proving that making bread is actually not impossible.

Stick to the detailed recipe and you’ll have trays of hot doughy pretzels in less than two hours. I experimented with shapes, forming some of the dough into mini pretzel baguettes. I find they’re better for dipping and topping with warm cheese, tangy mustard, or my favorite, melted butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.

Shopping List

• 1½ cups warm (110-115º F) water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
• Kosher salt, for topping

Recipe

Makes 8 soft pretzels.

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a mixmaster and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.

Secure the hook attachment to the mixmaster. Then add the flour and butter to the bowl, mixing on low speed until well combined.

Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450º. Line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan.

In the meantime, turn the dough onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.

Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the “U” in order to form a pretzel. Return to the cookie sheet. If you prefer, form the dough into mini baguettes at this point.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove each of them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return them to the cookie sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake until golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.