soft pretzels!

No more waiting hours in the long queues in Pretzel joints in the Shopping Malls. We can make them at home with the same flavor, taste and more economically.Soft pretzels are very popular and little salty snack.I'm always pulling adrian back whenever I cross pretzel joints in Shopping Malls. This is one of my favorite snack, he has to drag me off from this floor. Here in this soft pretzel recipe too, it has a secret for getting the golden brown crust. We would see that in the procedures..

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Bread flour / All Purpose flour

 1 envelope of Instant yeast

 1 tsp of Salt 

2 tsp of Sugar 

1 tbsp of Butter

 1 Cup(warm water) of Water 

For Dipping Solution:

 Water - 2 Cups

Baking Soda - 4 tbsp

Instructions for making:

 1. Mix salt, sugar and blend it with blender. 

2. Then add 1 cup of flour and whisk it again to form a smooth paste. Then add remaining flour and water alternatively, little by little. Here I did add the remaining flour and water alternatively for about three times. 

3. Make a smooth dough knead it very well, which is the most important part. You can knead it in the machine, and if you are kneading it by hands, make sure you knead it for atleast 5 min. 

4. Divide it into small balls, I made 16 balls out of this flour. 

5. Make a portion of the dough into a long and thin about 10-12 inch. 

6. Twist the dough rope and make a knot.. 

7. Turn the knot upside and make sure the knot is inside the top circle. 

8. Convert the dough into this shape and leave it aside. 

9. Take a big bowl add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil and switch of the stove and immediately add 4 tbsp of baking soda. Need to carefull here, as this solution tends to overflow. And bring it to the room temperature. 

10. By the time, the knotted dough might have raised a little. Add these in the cooled baking soda solution and soak it for not more than 2 min. This is the secret for getting the golden brown color evenly like the ones which are available in your nearby shopping malls. 

11. Remove it and arrange it in the tray sprayed with oil or in the parchment papered tray. Leave it for another 10 min, the solution will get absorbed by the dough. Sprinkle little kosher salt, pretzel salt if needed. Here I didnot add anything. 

12. Bake it in the preheated oven in 475 degrees for 10 min. I did it exactly for 10 min, but it may change from oven to oven, so please keep an eye on the oven, as these pretzels may tend to go on either side if care was not given. 

13. Just open the oven, you will definitely say "Wow" by looking at the evenly golden pretzels. Brush the pretzels with little butter. Serve with 'Garlic butter'. 

Tips:

::Soaking in the baking powder solution is just to get the golden brown color, without this step also been done.

:Any yeast can do its job, but make sure you follow the manufacturer's procedure.