Game Day Soft Pretzels

Let's all take a second to admit the soft pretzel is quite possibly the king of all breads. The only problem is how inaccessible they are. It seems silly to drive all the way to the mall for one of these twists of golden deliciousness, so here is the perfect pretzel, minus the embarrassment.

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp of honey
1 pack of dry yeast 

Stir honey into warm water and pour yeast on top. Don't stir, just let it sit for five minutes or until the yeast gets all foamy and happy.

2 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups white flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Combine butter and salt with yeast mixture, then slowly add flour. When the dough holds together, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (this is the fun part where you get to manhandle the dough). The dough should be slightly sticky, yet fairly firm and elastic.

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Once done kneading, place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it over so the dough is evenly coated with a little oil. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

Then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin dividing it into six equal portions. Roll the dough into a long rope (putting the dough in your fist and applying pressure evenly as you go will help stretch it out to the desired length). Once it is about 20 inches, fold it into a pretzel. There are a few different styles you can try, I like to take the ends and bring them up and in like a heart, then twist them and pinch them down into the sides of the bottom (as shown in the picture above). It may sound difficult, but you will get the hang of it in no time.

1/2 cup baking soda
8 cups of water for boiling

Mix baking soda with 8 cups of water in a medium-large pot and bring to a boil. Carefully dip each pretzel into the boiling baking soda solution for 1 minute each. It will go a lot smoother if you do one at a time. If you have secured the ends of your pretzel rope well against the base of the pretzel, you shouldn't experience any casualties with it coming undone. Once they have boiled for one minute (no need to flip), take them out and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

1 egg
course sea salt

Whisk a raw egg in a bowl until smooth (I just use a fork to do this because it's convenient). Brush the egg mixture lightly over the folded and boiled pretzels. You probably won't need the whole egg. Sprinkle course sea salt to taste. Bake for at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

These may seem like a lot of work, but they aren't as intimidating after the first time you make them. If you find it tedious, invite some friends over and make them together!