Pretzels

Big doughy pretzels

Skinnier ones using half dough portions.

My daughter has been after me to make these for a while.  I think she was actually after the type with a sweet coating...  but she loves the salty kind as well.  I don't know much about the history of pretzels or if I might be  breaking some sort of pretzel-taboo... I have found that bready-people can be a bit touchy about the right and wrong way to 'make a bit of crumb'.   This recipe I pinched from All-recipes and adapted to Thermomix.  If you want the original instructions,  just check at the link.

Yesterday I did all white flour and today I did some wholemeal.  All good,  so please yourself.  I may actually try a sour dough one of these days,  when I have a bit more time.

Ingredients:

• 7g dried yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• a good pinch salt
• 375g warm water
• 440g plain flour (or 300g wholemeal and 140g white)
• 150g bread flour
• 500g (2 cups) warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bicarb soda
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Method:

• Put warm Water, Brown Sugar and Yeast into Thermomix and mix on speed 2 about 1 minute until sugar is dissolved.
• Add Flours and Salt and knead on Interval Speed for 2 minutes
• Put into a large, lightly oiled and turn dough to coat with the oil.
• Allow to rise about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and divide in 12 pieces.  (Original recipe says 12 pieces.  I did 16 (half, half, half then half) and then I even divided 3 of those again for some skinnier ones. Maybe start with 12 and see how you go.)
• Dissolve Sodi Bic in warm water in a 20cm dish
• Roll each piece until it's about 40cm long and even, not lumpy
• Do your fancy twist (I used a picture to help), dunk into the Water/Sodi Bic mixture and place onto a lined baking tray.
• Sprinkle each wet Pretzel with a little Course Salt and allow to rise again, about 20 minutes before baking in oven 180ºC 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
• Cool on tray for a little while before moving to a cooling rack.  
• Now... start again....  because the kids just ate them all in one go.

Verdict:  Yummeh!  A lovely light and chewy bread,  with a nice crust.

Tweeks:  The original recipe calls for the pretzels to be brushed with butter and salted after baking,  but I decided with the last lot to just put the salt on while they were wet before baking.  I think this worked well and took away one teeny 'unhealthy' element.