Super Easy Soft Pretzels

I love soft pretzels. Love. They are my favourite treat when shopping in the States, and I've been known to have more then one before leaving the mall. But, the one time I've made them was such a mess (the boiling in baking soda thing wasn't my cup of tea) that I haven't made them at home since.

Then, I saw this recipe from Canadian chef Stefano Faita (thanks again for the link, K!) and I was intrigued. No boiling? No baking soda? Sold!

They aren't as good as an authentic soft pretzel, but they are a fast and easy alternative that taste great! I served mine with a cheddar cheese sauce, because cheese makes everything that much better. I'm going to try a boiled pretzel recipe at some point before my challenge is over, so stay tuned for that recipe sometime soon.

Pretzel Dough Ingredients

water, active dry yeast, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar

All ready for the oven

Yum!

For the pretzels:

1 1/3 cup warm water

1 tbsp. active dry yeast

2 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp salt, for dough

1 egg + 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash

Coarse salt, to taste (I used kosher)

Cheddar cheese sauce, optional (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine warm water with yeast in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.

Combine 2 3/4 cups flour with sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Using your hands, bring the dough together adding more flour as needed.

Sprinkle work surface with flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (mine obviously weren't equal!) and roll into 15-inch long ropes. Shape as desired (the traditional knot, sticks, or bites).

Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese sauce, mustard, or any other dipping sauce of your choosing.

Source: In The Kitchen with Stefano Faita

For the cheddar cheese sauce:

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

~1 cup cheddar cheese 

Pinches of salt, pepper, and cayenne, optional

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter and flour and cook for approximately two minutes (you want to make sure the flour taste has been cooked out).

Slowly whisk in milk and cook until milk has thickened, approximately five minutes. Add seasoning, if using.

Whisk in cheddar cheese, one handful at a time, until completely melted. Cook, whisking constantly, under desired consistency is reached. Serve warm.

Source: KD original

26x26 : 1 / 26

26 X 26

In ninety-nine days, I will be turning twenty-six. So, I decided to give myself the task of making twenty-six new, different, or complicated recipes between now and then. I love to cook and I love to bake even more, so I am thrilled to be challenging myself a little more in the space I love most in my home! 

My list is pretty random, but full of things I've wanted to try or have been to scared to try. I hope to give you all inspiration to try those things that have always intimidated you, to wonderful results!

1. pie crust
2. lemon meringue pie
3. puff pastry
4. beef wellington
5. souffle
6. hollandaise
7. jam and/or jelly
8. dill pickles
9. chicken kiev
10. croissants
11. macarons
12. baked Alaska
13. sausage patties
14. New York cheesecake
15. tortillas
16. french bread
17. ricotta cheese
18. donuts 
19. marshmallows
20. pudding
21. crock pot roast chicken
22. yogurt
23. sugar cookies with royal icing
24. the perfect vanilla cupcake
25. mozzarella
26. pretzels 

Plus one bonus recipe - cake batter bread. Wish me luck!!

My Goals

Something that has been very hard for me to admit, in this time of self-reflection, is that I don't have any goals. I'm not striving towards anything, content with moseying through life without a sense of purpose.

Well, that all changes now.

This list is not exclusive. It will change. A lot. But, I'm okay with that. As long as I keep building upon what I've set out to do, I'll be happy. Mostly, I'm hoping that accomplishing these goals will lead to me discovering new things that I'm passionate about and those things will then lead to new goals. 

So, here is a quick overview of the goals I've come up with as of right now. I will go into more detail about each goal in their own posts.

1. Make 26 new, different, or challenging recipes before I turn 26.

This is the main reason for my starting a blog, other then the whole accountability thing. I want a place to post the recipes I've tried, the changes I've made, and the successes (or failures) I've had. I love to cook and bake, so I know I am going to have a lot of fun during this process. 

2. Running! 

My 26x26 list is chalk-full of ridiculous recipes, from puff pastry to baked Alaska to the perfect vanilla cupcake. I need to keep active during this process and I've decided that running is what I'm going to do (along with some supplementation, but I don't know what that will be yet). A loves to run and I love discovering things that we can do together, so running it is!

3. Reading.

I love to read, but find myself picking up my laptop or the TV remote more often then my Kobo. So, I'm challenging myself to make reading my first choice instead of something I only do in the bathtub!

4. Learning to sew.

Pretty self-explanatory, but something I've been "meaning to do" for quite awhile. My mother-in-law (MIL) gave me a sewing machine two years ago, and beyond the short tutorial she gave me I have never used it. 

This is where I sit so far. Like I said, I hope to gradually add more things to the list but I'm happy with where I sit right now. It's going to be an adventure, and I hope that you'll all be along for the ride!