Homemade Soft Pretzels: Brings Back Great Childhood Memories

One of my favorite treats is Soft Pretzels. I remember as a little girl my parents would take us kids to Solvang, California. It was a little Danish Town that we loved to visit. I don't remember to much about it because it was so long ago (back in the early 70's).

I can still picture the windmills in my head and their wonderful soft pretzels. They were simply the best! I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of the soft pretzels with cheese and just walk around with my brothers and sister and eat those pretzels.

What a great childhood memory. I guess that is where I learned to love pretzels so much. Well my kids love them to, especially the Auntie Anne's Pretzels. They are my daughters absolute favorite.

She loves to get the cinnamon sugar sticks and Carson likes the pretzel dogs. Isn't it funny how things just pass on in families. I wanted to try my hand at recreating one of my favorite treats. So off I went hunting and searching for a good recipe.

Well I came across a Copy Cat Recipe for Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. I really wanted to try this recipe to see if they came at all close to the real deal.

I do have to say one thing, this was the most challenging recipe I have ever tried to make. Making the dough was a snap, but trying to roll the dough into a rope was very time consuming.

Shaping the pretzels was pretty easy, but picking them back up and getting them into the baking soda bath was really tricky. Then getting them back out in the same shape was another story. Whew it wore me out and was a lot more difficult than I initially thought it would be.

I ended up doing some in the shapes of sticks because I kept messing up trying to keep the pretzel shape. In the end the pretzels tasted really good, we brushed some melted butter on the pretzels and sprinkled coarse salt on some and a cinnamon sugar mixture on the others.

In the end my daughter Mackenzie said the pretzels were really really good. I thought they tasted just like a soft pretzel, but not exact to Auntie Anne's. So I guess I am still on my quest of finding a Auntie Anne's clone recipe.

Next time I will be making mini pretzels or just pretzel sticks I think it will be so much easier. Do you have a favorite treat that brings back a great childhood memory? I would love to hear all about it.

use your hands to form dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. (Dough will be nice and smooth when ready). Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, store in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough rises to double in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long

Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle. See diagram below.
This is the diagram I used to shape the pretzels. (Very Helpful). Photo credit Google & Auntie Annes.


Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.

If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. DON'T salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use two baking sheets and bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes and then spin the pan around and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.


Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some now, brush them with melted butter first before serving.

Very pretty and very yummy. The pretzels are best if eaten the same day.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Dough
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 TB plus 1/4 teaspoon yeast
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2TB powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Bath:
2 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda

Toppings:
1/4 cup butter, melted
Salted: Kosher or pretzel salt
Cinnamon Topping: 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in bread machine loaf pan. Let sit for a few minutes. Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add to water with yeast. Add vegetable oil.

Set bread machine to dough setting and do something else. 20 minutes before dough cycle is complete, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved. Remove the dough from bread pan and let set 15 minutes.

Divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once.

Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle. Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution.

Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. DON'T salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar.

You will likely have to use two baking sheets and bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 3 minutes and then spin the pan around and bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.

Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some with melted butter first before serving.

For the cinnamon sugar coating, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle a heavy coating of the cinnamon sugar on the pretzels over a large plate.

Makes 8 pretzels. Pretzels taste best if eaten the same day.

Non Bread Machine Version:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, let sit for a few minutes. Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add to water with yeast then add vegetable oil. Mix the ingriedient with a wooden spoon until it is well combined. Using your hands to form dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. (Dough will be nice and smooth when ready).

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, store in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough rises to double in size. Divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once.

Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle. Continue with the remaining directions of the recipe for the baking soda bath then bake.

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The Mom in Mommy's Kitchen