You might be thinking to yourself, “where have these healthy soft pretzels been all my life?” The answer is, with me. I’ve been shamelessly hoarding them, perfectly unwilling to share their soft, salty, bready goodness. I wanted to be the only one whose kids had these for after school snacks, whose freezer was stocked for carb-load emergencies, and for whom Kosher salt had a reason to exist. In fact, aside from margaritas, I’m pretty sure these pretzels are the raison d’être for Kosher salt. And if you’re still not convinced that these need a very special place in your heart and in your kitchen, let me introduce you to Beer Cheese Dip (make sure you check this out). (And let me remind you that football season is coming!)
Servings : 12
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
- 1/2 cup water warmed
- 1 cup milk warmed
- 4 cups 100% whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
Water Bath (Optional)
- 2 quarts water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
Salt Glaze
- 1 egg separated, white only
- 1 tsp water
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt or any coarse salt
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Instructions
Pretzel Dough
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add warmed liquids to a bowl of a stand mixer (hand mixing instructions in notes). Add flour. Add salt to the side of the bowl. Add yeast to the center of the flour. Fit mixer with dough hook. Knead on speed 1 5-7 minutes or until dough ball forms and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a 20 inch (approximately) rope. Bring ends of rope together and twist, then seal ends back to dough, forming the shape of a pretzel. Place on prepared baking sheet. Let rest 30 minutes. For soft, bread-like pretzels, skip water bath and go straight to baking.
Water Bath (Optional)
- For authentic, chewy pretzels, bring 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons baking soda to a boil. Gently drop in each pretzel and let boil 1 minute. Remove from water with slotted spoon and return to baking sheet.
Baking Pretzels
- Preheat oven to 400. Beat egg white and 1 teaspoon water together. Brush on each pretzel, then sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Bake at 400 16-20 minutes.
Notes
To mix pretzels by hand, add warm liquids and yeast to a boil and let stand until frothy. Stir together flour and salt. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time, and incorporate. Once you have a dough-like substance, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes. Proceed as above.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This Post Has 10 Comments
Delicious!
I’ve made pretzels years ago; will need to try these.
These are awesome
Since my daughter loves the 90/10 cheese sauce, I might have to make these pretzels for her to try too.
These turned out really good! I made them into sticks, since I wasn’t having any luck with having them stick together when I twisted them, and I sprinkled them with Fleur de Sel instead of kosher salt (since I have a ton of it from a brother who lives in France…..lol). Delicious plain or with beer cheese dip!
Quick question … is there really no sugar in this receipe? How does the yeast activate without sugar?
Hi Sarah! There is enough sugar in the milk in the form of lactose that no other sugar is needed. Enjoy!
Heidi
I am wondering if I can use unsweetened almond milk in place of the milk? if so, do I need to make another change in order for the yeast to activate-I am trying to stay away from sugar if at all possible.
Hi Tricia! Yes, unsweetened almond milk should work fine. You might need to add some pure maple syrup or honey for the yeast to have enough to feed on. I suggest 6 Tablespoons. (works out to only 1/2 tablespoon of unrefined sugar per pretzel). You can always try it without and see if you like the results. Hope this helps! Enjoy your baking! -Heidi
idk. maybe i did something wrong. they’re very chewy and tough. i baked them at 400 for 17 minutes. they taste good with melted chocolate though