Oktoberfest German Style Soft Pretzels

Pretzels...

Filled with flour and gluten and salt... NOT the healthiest treat in the world but delicious and great with a big stein of Oktoberfest beer.

Its an easy process but there is a lot of rising time. So be prepared to wait a few hours to eat your delicious pretzels. Real Authentic pretzels are actually made with food grade lye. But I rather not cook with things that you need to wear goggles and rubber gloves!

You need:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour 1:1
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup warm water plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided 3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
• Coarse sea salt 

* try using all organic ingredients if possible and full fat butter

Add yeast to the warm water. In the bowl of your electric mixer, add in flour and sugar and make a little well in the middle.

Pour your yeast/water mixture into the well and leave it alone for 15-20 minutes.

When you return to your bowl the flour will be risen a bit and the water will be very bubbly, mix with a slotted spoon or silicone spatula. 

Add in 3tblspoons butter and mix on low speed until dough comes together, you might need to add in 2 additional tablespoons of water. The dough should be just sticky enough to hold together.

Let the dough rest for 40 minutes to an hour.

Beat the dough down and cut into 12 equal strips... I am not Auntie Anne so please excuse my uneven pretzel dough!

roll dough strips on the counter top to desired thickness. The skinnier bigger pretzels are more crisp and the smaller fatter pretzels have softer insides.

Once all your pretzels are shaped, lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for another hour...I KNOW you are desperate to eat them already, but I promise this step is important!

After your last rise, bring a large pot of water to a boil (fill up a little more than half way full) And SLOWLY pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda.

Quickly, 1 pretzel at a time let pretzel soak in the water bath for 5 seconds per side, a wide spatula is the easiest way to flip!

After you dip the pretzel line them back on the parchment lined baking sheets, sprinke desired amount of salt and bake at 400 degrees for 12-17 minutes depending on your level of crisp desired, these were baked for 15 minutes. Use remaining butter (microwave for 20-30 seconds) and lightly brush your warm pretzels with butter, using a pastry brush or basting brush.

Eat with mustard or with House Of J Raw Milk Queso