Pretzels are surprisingly easy to make … once you understand the science behind them and know how to add-in one key step – bathing the prepared dough in a bath of baking soda – to ensure they end up brown and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and moist inside.
1) proof your yeast; 2) add yeast to flour
3) leave dough to double in a warm oven for an hour; 4) Blee tamps down the dough
5) prepare a baking soda bath with 5 cups of water and 3/4 cup of baking soda; 6) split the dough into 8 even rounds
7) roll out the dough until it is about 24 inches long and then shape into the classic pretzel shape; 8) drop in baking soda bath for about 30 seconds and arrange on a baking sheet
9) brush with an egg yolk bath and top with salt; then, 10) bake in a hot oven for about 10 minutes (or so)
11) perfect pretzels!
AppsScraps 
Somehow I missed this entry. Fantastic recipe. I’ll have to try it one of these days.
Seems a lot of fun arranging the pattern!! And got to eat it too!! *drool*
yummy
Interesting – I’ve never tried making pretzel. I also noticed the chopsticks in the first picture. My mom also used chopsticks when she baked.
yum.
If you can stay skinny with a tray full of those things in the house, I need to get your secret.
ooh, yum! i will have to try making pretzels sometime… my intent is to eventually get into making more breads and that sort of thing.
okay you convinced me I will make some this afternoon – they look tempting. Oh, I found Hannah Montana cookies now being sold in stores. Can you believe that – $1.99 + tax for one cookie. No I did not buy one.
Ooh I’ll bet those were soft and yumymy!
oh those look soo good … and I haven’t had my morning coffee yet! TIFF passes, cool! … I’ve been so out of the loop.