Baking Banquet: SOFT PRETZELS & VANILLA CINNAMON SUGAR DUST

Sunday, April 6, 2014

SOFT PRETZELS & VANILLA CINNAMON SUGAR DUST

Ingredients, Pretzel Dough:

2 ¼ teaspoons (or one 0.25 oz. package) active dry yeast

1 1/8 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ cups warm milk

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups bread flour

¼ cup butter melted (to brush on pretzels after they come out of the oven)

Ingredients, Baking Soda Bath:

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

Ingredients, Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

DIRECTIONS:

To make the pretzel dough: In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in the brown sugar, warm milk and salt. Add the granulated sugar and the flours. Stir until well combined. Knead dough (or use bread hooks on your mixer) until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 6 – 8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl and coat the dough with the grease or use baking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm area (I place my bowls of dough in my car and let them rise in a nice sunny place) for 1 hour.

In an 8X8 container, measure 2 tablespoons of baking soda…have 2 cups warm water on hand. Next, prepare the cinnamon sugar dust (also in an 8X8 container). Mix vanilla cinnamon sugar ingredients together. (if you don’t have vanilla powder, just omit it and cinnamon sugar will be just fine). Set aside.

Line 3 or 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. After dough has risen, roll dough into a flat square. Cut into 12 even strips (or as even as you can get them). Roll the strips into ropes about 3 feet long. Shape ropes into pretzels. Warm your 2 cups water and pour into your container with the baking soda. Stir until baking soda has dissolved somewhat. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda bath and place on prepared baking sheets. Let rise 15 – 20 minutes. Bake for 7-8 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and brush melted butter on pretzels. Dip in the Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar and cover the tops completely. Serve and enjoy. (May also be sprinkled with salt, dipped in mustard, garlic butter, etc. if you wish to omit the Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar step.)