Pretzels

My kids love pretzels. The packages of pre-made soft pretzels I've seen at the store are too expensive and don't even taste that great. After testing a few that I found online, I discovered things I liked and didn't like and made my own recipe.

Many of the recipes I found said to dip the pretzel dough into a solution of baking soda and water. The only purpose this serves is to make the pretzels nice and golden brown and shiny. I didn't appreciate the baking soda after-taste, so I decided to just use an egg wash combined with a bit of milk. Much better.

This is a super fun recipe to have the kids help with. We make these all the time now! I mostly make them for lunch, topping mine with butter, garlic salt and Parmesan. I've even made them for breakfast, topping them with cinnamon and sugar!

Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

Dissolve yeast in water. Sift flour into a bowl, then add yeast mixture to flour. Mix well and allow to rise for about 15 minutes. Shape dough into desired shapes and place on a baking sheet.
Beat egg and milk together. Brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.