Making Pretzels

One day Mom, Damon, Elena, and I made pretzels.  We made pretzels because they do not have soft pretzels here.  It was fun.  We had to make pretzel shapes out of the dough and boil and cook them.   We sprinkled salt on half of them and cinnamon sugar on the other half.  They tasted really good when they were done.  Here is the recipe if you want to try them yourself.

- Maddie

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons salt

3 quarts boiling water

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 tablespoon water

   sesame seed, poppy seed, or coarse salt

In a mixing bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast.  In a saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, oil & 1 tsp. salt till warm.  Add to flour mixture.  Beat on low for 30 seconds.  Beat on high for 3 minutes.  Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

turnout onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.  Shape dough into a ball.  Place dough in greased bowl; turn once to grease surface.  Cover and let rise in warm plat till double (approx. 1 1/4 hr.)

Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover; let rest 10 min.  Roll dough into a  12x10 inch rectangle.  Cut into twenty strips.  Gently pull each strip into a rope about 16 in. long.

Shape each pretzel by crossing one end over the other to form a circle, overlapping about 4 in. from each end.  Take one end of dough in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps.  Carefully lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite it. Tuck ends under edges to make a pretzel shape.  

Place pretzels on greased baking sheets.  Bake in a 475 over for 4 min.  Remove from oven.  Lower oven temp. to 350.  

Dissolve the 2 tablespoons salt in boiling water.  Lower pretzels into boiling water.  Boil 2 min. turning once.  Place on well greased baking sheets

Combine egg white and the 1 tablespoon water.  Brush pretzels with a little of the egg white.  Sprinkle pretzels lightly with topping.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. or till golden brown.  Makes 20 pretzels.