Real Homemade Soft Pretzels

At the many baseball games we have gone to this spring...my kids spend most of their money on snacks including pretzels.  So one day I decided we should just make them at home for a after-school snack.  They were in LOVE with these pretzels!  I made some with salt and some with cinnamon sugar.  I found the recipe HERE.  They are time consuming but not hard to make.  My boys loved helping me shape them, boil them and of course eat them!



INGREDIENTS:

1 TBS yeast
1 TBS sugar
2 cups warm water
1 cup flour
4 cups flour, mixed with
1 TBS salt, more flour if needed
1 egg
1 TBS water
coarse salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir yeast, sugar and warm water.  Let rest until yeast is dissolved and is a little foamy.

2.  Stir in 1 cup flour.  Then add rest of flour mixed with the 1 TBS of salt.

3.  Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Place in a oiled bowl, rolling around until all oiled.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

4.  Remove and knead again just a little bit, gently.  Cut into 16 pieces, roll each piece into 14" ropes, shape into pretzels and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5.  Cover and let rise 15 minutes.

6.  Drop each one or 2 at a time into a small pot of boiling water, boiling each 1 minute, and replace back onto greased cookie sheet.

7.  Brush each with eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water), sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.