Electric Mixer with Dough Hook (optional)
Plastic Wrap
Kitchen Towels
Rolling Pin
Stock Pot
Large Slotted Spoon or Spider
Baking Sheet
Baking Mat
Pastry Brush
Soft Pretzel Baking Mix
Baking Yeast
Cinnamon Sugar Blend
Water
1/4 Cup (59 ml) Baking Soda
Oil or Cooking Spray
Flour for Dusting Surfaces
4 Tablespoons (59 ml) Cold Butter, Cubed
1 Tablespoon Butter (15 ml), Melted
1 Teaspoon (5 ml) Sugar
Start off by proofing your yeast.
In a small bowl, combine your full yeast packet, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of sugar, and 1 cup (236 ml) warm water. Stir gently. Let sit until cloudy, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, add baking mix and cubed butter. Using your hands mix until crumbly. Add yeast mixture, and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead your dough for about 10-12 minutes. (If you're using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment to mix on medium for 8 minutes.)
Dough should be a tight, elastic ball. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap, let rise in warm area until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Cold Weather Tip: Make sure to let your dough rise in a warm area. Yeast (much like the rest of us) is a bit sluggish in the cold and it may take 15 to 30 minutes longer for your dough to rise.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface (like your counter). Gently flatten with your hands, and then using a rolling pin, roll out to a larger rectangle about 12" x 14" (30 x 35 cm) in size. Cut into 12 strips about 1" (2.5 cm) wide by 14" (35 cm) long.
Using your hands, form each strip into a large U. Cross the ends over about two-thirds the way up for the bottom of the U. Bring the tips of the dough to the bottom of the U and press into the dough to seal. Flip over.
Repeat with all strips of dough and lightly cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap once formed.
When done forming the dough, you’ll want to start heating up your water bath and preheating your oven to 450° F (232° C). For your water bath, bring 4 quarts (4 L) of water, malt, and 1/4 cup (59 ml) baking soda to a boil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
Note: To prevent boil-overs, it can be helpful to lower the heat when adding your baking soda. After it's fully incorporated into the hot water, you can raise the heat back to a full boil.
Note: Your malt may become hardened in its packaging. That's totally fine. It will melt right away when added to the hot water.
Use a large slotted spoon or spider to add 1 or 2 pretzels to the water bath. Boil for 1 minute (pretzels will sink and then rise to the top). Remove pretzels with spoon to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Repeat for all pretzels.
Place pretzels on a baking sheet lined with a baking mat. Bake 12 minutes until pretzels are a deep golden brown.
Remove from oven. Brush pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar blend over each pretzel, and enjoy!
