MIND-BLOWING SOFT PRETZELS

Lucky for me, 3rd time is a charm because I worked on this recipe for a week. My husband was more than happy to be my taste tester, especially since no kale was involved. Made a "his and her" dinner featuring the pretzel...guess which picture was my husband's!

I was inspired by this recipe from “Veggie Inspired”: Vegan Soft Pretzels.

See the PowerPoint slide below explaining the differences in commonly used whole grain wheat flours.

Here is a 2 minute video by Dr Greger which nicely shows why whole grain products are better for you.

Since I was adjusting the recipe, I made a small batch which made 4 pretzels. Here is what I used and what I recommend based on my trials and errors:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water, 110-115 degrees F

1/2 TBSP sugar (I used cane sugar)

1 tsp salt (I used fresh ground Himalayan)

1/2 package RapidRise instant yeast (one package is 2 and 1/4 tsp so I used 1 and 1/8th tsp)

2 and 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 TBSP McDougall corn butter, melted

additional 4 tsp warm water

for topping: coarse salt or Trader Joe's "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning blend or can leave plain

For immersing the pretzels before baking:

5 cups water

1/3 cup baking soda

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine 3/4th cup warm water, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top and wait 5 minutes until foams (I learned later that “proofing” is not necessary for RapidRise yeast)

2. Add the flour, McDougall corn butter, and the 4 tsp additional warm water. Combine briefly using a spatula until the flour is moistened, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

3. Turn the mixture onto a clean surface and knead for 4 minutes to create a smooth dough.

4. Place the ball of dough into a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a hand towel and put in a warm place for 50-60 minutes.

5. Cut the dough into 4 pieces.

6. Roll each piece into a rope. Aim for 24 inches. (my cutting board was only 20 inches so next time I will roll on my counter) If the dough wants to stick, sprinkle the surface with a small amount of flour.

7. Fold the roll into a pretzel shape.

8. In a medium pot, add the 5 cups of water and 1/3 cup baking soda. When at a very light boil, submerge one pretzel at a time using a large spoon with holes for 30 seconds. (Next time I will press the edges down more firmly and submerge the pretzel dough in the water with the free ends down so they don't easily come loose.)

9. Place pretzels on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle each with desired spice immediately after removing from the water.

10. Bake 450 degrees for 13 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.