The wonders of modern technology allow me to listen to Philadelphia sports radio during my drive to and from work in North Carolina. One of the commercials on the station is the owner of a pretzel company who says, "Did you know the average Philadelphian eats 12 times the amount of pretzels as the average American?" I believe it. Pretzels are ubiquitous in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Far more than anywhere else I've ever been. And in my opinion the best pretzel of all is the soft pretzel, which is as much a staple of Philadelphia cuisine as the legendary cheesesteak.
Of course, like so many other popular foods, there are countless recipes for soft pretzels. I've found one that I think is pretty easy to make, tastes great and is versatile for some variations, including pretzel rolls, which have become a popular trend in restaurants.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
- 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- Vegetable oil
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling (though I haven't gotten it myself yet, there's actually something called pretzel salt that is likely best for sprinkling)
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
Place the warm water in the bowl
of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside to rest until
the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture does not bubble,
either the liquid was not at the correct temperature or the yeast is
old.) Meanwhile, coat a large mixing bowl with a thin layer of vegetable
oil and set aside.
Place the flour, sugar and 1 tsp kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk briefly to break up any lumps
and combine. Once the yeast is ready, fit the bowl on the mixer, attach a
dough hook and start adding in the flour mixture. Mix on the lowest setting
as you add the rest of the mixture and until the dough comes together, then increase to medium speed and mix
until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.
Form
the dough into a ball, place in the oiled mixing bowl, and turn the
dough to coat in oil. Cover with a clean, damp dishtowel and let rest in
a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, punch
it down and knead it on a floured, dry surface just until it becomes
smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute. Divide the dough into eight pieces.
OK. Here's where you can do some different things.
If you want to make pretzel rolls, form the pieces into oblong rolls. Place the rolls on a baking
sheet coated with cooking spray and cut four 2-inch diagonal slashes across the top of each.
If you want to make traditional twisted pretzels, you'll need a little skill. Fortunately, thanks to some visits to the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
in Lititz, PA, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America, I am an
Official Pretzel Twister, and I am here to share my knowledge.
First roll out the dough into thin ropes, like when you used to make a snake out of Play Doh as a kid. You want it probably 8-12 inches long. Now, lay it out in front of you in the shape of a U with the ends farthest away from you. Pick up the ends and cross them, switch hands, then twist so the loop at the bottom rotates a half turn so that when you put the loop back down and bring the ends down to the loop the middle interlocks. See the picture above for what it should look like. An easier way is to take two of the dough ropes and twist them together into braids. Same great taste. A lot easier to deal with. Whichever shape, place the pretzels on a sprayed baking sheet.
Finally, if you want to make pretzel dogs, roll out the long, thin ropes and wrap them around hot dogs. Place on a sprayed baking sheet.
Regardless of what form you've made, cover the pretzels
with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until almost
doubled in volume, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to
425°F and bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large, deep saucepan over
high heat.
Once the pretzels/rolls have risen, stir the
baking soda into the boiling water (the water will foam up slightly).
In batches, boil the pretzels/rolls for two minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon or spider,
remove the pretzels/rolls, drain and place on the baking sheet, cut side up.
Sprinkle well with salt and repeat with the remaining rolls. Fair warning: when you try twisting the pretzels, they can be very difficult to handle, especially flipping them in the water. That's why I make the long twists.
Once all the rolls are ready, place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes
The pretzels rolls I made were great. They were firm, but light inside. The pretzels were perfect. The pretzels dogs were a huge hit with our 3-year-old.
By the way: Real Philadelphians eat soft pretzels with mustard. I prefer brown, spicy mustard.
