Celebrate National Pretzel Day on April 26th with this free handout! Follow the instructions on the handout below to make pretzels!
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (1 packet), 4 cups of bread flour, 3 tablespoons of oil (divided), 1/3 cup of baking soda, 8 cups of water, 2 eggs (beaten), coarse salt
1. Mix warm water, salt, and sugar in a bowl together, until fully combined. Add yeast and wait 5 minutes for yeast to activate.
2. Add flour and 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix until it forms a dough.
3. Remove the dough from the bowl. Use the rest of the oil to coat the inside of the bowl.
4. Place the dough back in the well-oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Leave the dough for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius).
6. Cut dough into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope. Twist into a pretzel shape by bringing both ends to the center of the rolled dough and twisting the ends.
7. Add baking soda to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Place each pretzel into the boiling mixture for 30 seconds on each side (both the front and the back of the pretzel).
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put pretzels onto the baking sheet. Brush the pretzels with egg wash and add salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Some topping ideas: cinnamon sugar, pepperoni, cheese, sesame seeds, chocolate, sprinkles and anything else you can think of!
