National Pretzel Day! Homemade Pretzel Recipe

Today is National Pretzel Day. Amen.

Nothing is better than a hot pretzel. Carb heaven. If you have a Pretzel Maker in your area you can score a FREE pretzel today. I would check at other pretzel places, I am sure they have deals also. If you do not have one nearby consider making your own!

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

My spiffy oven has a bread proof setting so I used that. Took a little less than an hour but doubled.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
2. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Now is when you recruit the help. My Sister (who destroyed my Kitchen Aid) volunteered to teach the girls how to make a pretzel. Actually they taught her…

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

They turned out AMAZING! Can you smell them now? We took some and dipped them in the water/baking soda mixture, and added cinnamon and sugar to them and they were awesome also!

Homemade Pretzels (from Allrecipes)