Homemade Soft Pretzels

We are now on day 10 of our unexpected snow vacation! All of the free time has caused me to try some domestic things that I don't have time for. One of my facebook friends, Stacey L., shared a recipe for homemade soft pretzels and I gave it a whirl. Though a bit time consuming, they were fantastic! As you can see from the picture below I need to work on my pretzel forming skills, but again they tasted great (so who cares?). I am interested in maybe getting a bread maker soon and trying out some other bread like recipes!

Homemade Soft Pretzels
(From crafster.org)

2-3 cups bread flour

1 tsp yeast

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees, or about a minute in the micro)

1 tsp. salt

Mix all of these together until they form a ball. Start with 2 cups of flour and then add it a tablespoon at a time until it becomes workable with your hands. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. Let it relax for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, get a pot of water and 4 tbsp. baking soda to a simmer. Cut your dough into 6 pieces. Roll them into "snakes" and make the pretzel shape. Carefully, with a spatula, dunk the pretzels into the simmering water for 5 seconds. They should begin to float. Take them out and place them on a greased cookie sheet (I put my pretzels on aluminum foil sprayed with Pam and still had trouble with sticking, use lots of grease!). Sprinkle with Kosher salt and bake for 12 to 14 minutes at 425 degrees.