Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dip

Summer / Fall / Winter / Spring / Appetizer / Bake / Coconut Oil / Dairy Free / LouAna / Snack / Vegetarian /

DESCRIPTION

There’s nothing like a homemade pretzel—and they are so fun to make. If you’ve ever made bread you can make pretzels. What gives pretzels their characteristic bronze color and tangy flavor is their quick bath in a mixture of water, baking soda and brown sugar. After that they are topped with a bit of salt and baked until deeply golden.

PREP, COOK, TOTAL TIME

Prep time:
Inactive: overnight, plus 2 hours rising time
Active: 45 minutes (divided into three 15-minute increments)
Bake time: 12 to 15 minutes

SERVINGS

Yields: 9 pretzels

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Start this the day before or up to two days before you plan to use it.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attached, combine the yeast, sugar, melted coconut oil and water. Dump in flour and salt. Start by mixing dough on low until everything is well combined. Then switch to the dough hook, increase speed of the mixer to medium low and knead for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead for 7 to 10 minutes by hand, on a lightly floured surface.

This dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be smooth and elastic.

Transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours. Make sure the container allows room for the dough to rise. After this first slow rise, dough can be frozen until ready to use. Defrost in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to make the buns, remove dough from the fridge and divide into 9 equal portions.
Roll each piece of dough into a 9-inch-long rope that is slightly tapered at the ends. If the dough feels tight and no longer wants to stretch, set it aside while you work on another pretzel. This allows the gluten to relax and will be easier to work with after a few minutes. Cross the ends over each other and press into the bottom to make a pretzel shape.

Place the formed buns on a large well-greased baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours in a warm spot.
Preheat your oven to 450° F. Set a wire cooling rack over a dishtowel on your counter.
For the pretzel solution, bring 3 quarts of water, baking soda and brown sugar to a boil in a large, wide pot. Reduce to simmer.

Carefully add the pretzels into the pretzel solution and cook for one minute on each side, use a large slotted spoon to turn. Remove them from the liquid and place on a wire rack set over a cloth to drain.

Return the buns to the greased (or silpat-lined) baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until dark brown and cooked through.

Carefully remove the hot pretzels from the tray and allow them to cool on a wire rack. If the buns stick, use a metal spatula to release.

These are best eaten the day they are baked.

For the dip: Whisk together mustard, honey and salt.

We’d love to see how it turned out. Tag your photos with #LouAnaCooking on Facebook or Instagram.

Soft Pretzels Recipe photo credit: LouAna