Very Soft Pretzels Recipes

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix water, salt, and sugar until combined. Add yeast, and let rest 5 minutes until yeast starts to foam.
• Add flour and 2 tablespoons of oil, and mix thoroughly until a dough forms.
• Remove the dough and use the remaining oil to cover the bowl.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Cut dough into 8 pieces and roll them out into thin ropes, twisting the two ends to form a pretzel shape.
• Add baking soda to a large pot of water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side.
• Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
• Enjoy!

SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds; do not boil. (Alternatively, warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan.) Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture to the bowl. When the dough forms a cohesive mass, switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a clean, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a 2-qt baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2¼ cups warm water. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved; set aside. (Dipping the pretzel dough in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels a nice golden brown crust.)
• Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean work surface. (If the dough seems sticky, you can dust it with a bit of flour as needed.) Shape the dough into a log, then cut into 6 equal pieces; cover with a damp dishtowel so the dough doesn't dry out. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.
• Using two hands, gently dip each "rope" into the soda solution. Let any excess liquid drip off, then form the dough into a pretzel shape directly on the prepared baking sheet (form a U-shape, then holding the ends of the rope, cross them over and under each other -- making a twist in the center -- and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel). Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 8 to 12 minutes; watch the bottoms carefully as they can burn.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and brush on the baked pretzels. The pretzels are best enjoyed warm out of the oven or fresh on the same day (reheat in the oven or microwave).
• Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the warm milk and butter, let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe.
• Note: If you prefer a cinnamon sugar topping, omit the coarse salt. Brush with butter after baking and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar plus about ¾ teaspoon cinnamon)
• Make-Ahead Instructions: After the dough has risen, it can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for a few months. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator before using. The dough can be shaped into pretzel bites while still cool, but allow about 30 minutes for the bites to puff up a bit before dipping and baking.

SOFT HOMEMADE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Stir yeast into 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; beat in flour, sugar, shortening, and salt to make a dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
• Place dough into a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 18 to 20 inches long.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Shape each rope of dough into a pretzel on the prepared baking sheet; let pretzels rest for 5 minutes. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and brush yolk mixture over each pretzel; sprinkle each with coarse salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Pour 2 cups hot water into bowl of electric mixer with dough hook. Check water with instant-read thermometer to register about 110 degrees. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast; let sit 5 minutes; yeast should bubble.
• Beat 1 cup flour into yeast on low until combined. Beat in salt and 4 cups flour until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about 10 times until smooth.
• Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside. Punch down dough remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into sixteen pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each), and wrap in plastic.
• Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. Twist pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet. Let dough rest until it rises slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill large shallow pot with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda. Reduce to simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
• Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg wash. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, and will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container.

LARGE SOFT PRETZELS (QUICK)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix water and sugar together in a bowl until sugar is dissolved; add yeast. Let mixture stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk flour, butter, and salt together in a bowl until well mixed; add yeast mixture and stir with a fork until dough starts to cling. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth.
• Cut dough into 15 equal pieces and roll each piece between your hands into rope shapes at least the thickness of a pencil. Twist dough into desired shapes and arrange on a baking sheet; brush with egg and sprinkle coarse salt over each.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are browned and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.

EASY SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Grease two large baking sheets(or cover with parchment paper).
• In a large bowl,sprinkle the yeast over the warm water(water should be very warm to touch).;stir with a rubber spatula until well blended and the yeast is dissolved.
• With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in sugar, salt and 3 1/2 cups of flour until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms.
• Turn dough onto a well-floured board.To knead fold the dough towards you;with the heels of your hands push the dough away with short rocking motions.Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat motion.Continue kneading and turning for about 5-7 minutes,adding another 1/2 cup or more of flour as necessary,until the dough is smooth and elastic.The dough should not stick to your hands or the board.
• Cut the dough in half and then cut each half into six equal-sized pieces.With floured hands,roll one piece of dough between the palms of your hands to form a dough rope.Continue rolling and stretching the dough rope until it is 15 inches long.Place the rope on a baking sheet.Cross the left side of the rope over to the middle to create a loop.Then fold the right side of the rope over the left to create a pretzel shape.
• Continue with the remaining dough,placing the pretzels three inches apart on the baking sheet.Enlarge holes in pretzels by inserting thumb and index fingers into holes.This will prevent them from completely closing during baking.In a small bowl mix together egg and water,brush on pretzels.Sprinkle with salt.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.