This Way or That Way

Totally Twisted

It's 99 degrees outside today. Yep...99. There's not much shade around here, we don't have a car today since Straight Arrow is working until 5, and since our utilities are included in our rent I don't care if we heat up the kitchen.

SO! What does that all mean? We passed our time today making pretzels! Pretzels are one of the things I have thought about making if I started a kids cooking class. So, I wanted to try out the recipe and see just how long it would take from start to finish. What I learned? It was a lot of fun. The kids loved working with the dough. They are really yummy...might even trump Sam's Club pretzels! But, if I made them for the class, I'd have to let the kids mix up the dough, but I'd also have to have some dough made beforehand already rising.

There's always taste testing going on in our kitchen. (I am not the taste tester...ever!)

K has discovered you can't be a good cook and have clean hands too...

Green Light is pretty much "Master of the rolling pin".

Sissy really wanted to try the pizza cutter to cut our dough. She's a fast learner!

Impressive pretzel folding skills going on here...

After they are twisted into shape, it's a multi-step process that involves boiling once and baking twice. It's totally worth it though!
They smell divine...and taste even better with some freshly made honey butter!

Super pretzels

4 to 4 ½ C flour
1 package of dry yeast
1 ½ C milk
¼ C sugar
2 T cooking oil
1 t salt and 2 T salt
3 quarts of boiling water
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 T water
sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 ½ C of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, oil, and the 1 t salt until warm. Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixture on low for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
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Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until it is double in size (about an hour).

Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease 2 baking sheets.

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Roll dough into a 12X10 inch rectangle. Cut into 20 strips. Gently pull each strip into a rope about 16 inches long. Shape into pretzels.

Carefully place pretzels on the baking sheets, and bake at 475 for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and turn down to 350.

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Dissolve the 2 T salt into the boiling water. Lower pretzels 3 or 4 at a time into the water. Boil for 2 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove from water and place back on baking sheets.

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In a small bowl, stir together egg white and 1 T water. Brush pretzels with some of the egg white and then sprinkle with desired topping. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes 20.