Homemade Buttery Soft Pretzels

My daughter is always begging to buy the frozen pretzels whenever they sample them at Costco.  I think they taste dry and bland so I never acquiesce.  But I told her we could make our own homemade pretzels as one of our activities this summer.  We have a calendar all made out where we assign one fun thing to do each day if they finish their chores before 10am.  I couldn't believe how excited she was when she saw pretzels on the calendar for the day.  

I was kind of indifferent about them--but OH BOY how wrong I was.  These are AMAZING!  Seriously.  I've always loved when we can grab a pretzel from Auntie Ann's at the mall.  But I'll never buy them again.  These taste exactly like they came from those yummy pretzels stands--but even better!  And SOOO much cheaper.  And my kiddos loved helping shape the pretzels--double bonus.  They are buttery and soft on the inside and so addicting.  We loved them hot and fresh out of the oven with the kosher salt and butter on them.  My kiddos preferred the cinnamon and sugar coating.  My husband usually prefers chocolate but even he gushed over these.  So much so that we made them again a couple of days later.  And on the second batch we both decided that we loved it with both toppings.  Make sure you don't skip the soda bath part--it's what makes the pretzel!  You won't be able to tell a difference between the pretzels you buy at the mall and this recipe.  Trust me!

Buttery Soft Pretzels from Allrecipes

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda

4 cups hot water

1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.

When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Brush with butter after taking out of oven.  Dip in cinnamon & sugar if desired (but eliminate kosher salt step if doing this). 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 237 | Total Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg