Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels – Feingold Stage 1

These are the same as at the mall.  I freeze them.  Makes a good snack or quick breakfast on the
go.  These take a little while to make,
but they’re not hard and taste just like the real thing.   My son says they’re better than the real thing.  I would have to agree because they’re made with love.  🙂   

1 ¼ cups warm water

1 TB plus ¼ tsp yeast   (I use Fleischman’s)

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup plus 2 TB powdered sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp vegetable oil 
( I use olive oil)

Bath:                                                                           Cinnamon
Topping:

4 cups warm water                                                   ¼
cup granulated sugar

½ cup baking soda                                                   1
tsp cinnamon

Dissolve the yeast in 1 ¼ cups warm water in a small
bowl.  Let sit for a few minutes. Combine
the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large oven safe mixing bowl.  Add the water with yeast and vegetable
oil.  Stir with a spoon and then use your
hands to form dough into a ball.  Knead
for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. 
Dough will be smooth when ready. 
Place dough back into your large bowl, lightly oiled.  Cover with a clean dish towel that has been
dampened with warm water.  Store in a
warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough doubles in size.  (I turn on the oven to about 250 degrees to
warm up, then turn off the oven and put the bowl in (use a glass or ceramic
bowl).    I sometimes have to turn the
oven back on for a minute to warm back up during the hour.) 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Make a bath for the pretzels by combining ½
cup baking soda with 4 cups of warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly
dissolved.  Divide the dough into 8 even
portions.  Roll each portion on a flat
non-floured surface until it is about 3 feet long.  (Roll back and forth very quickly – this
takes some practice).

Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little
spin so the middle of the dough spins around once.  Make kind of a U with the dough, then make an
X twice with the top end pieces.  Fold
the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the
loop.  Holding the pinched ends, dip the
pretzel into the bath solution.  Place
each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. 

Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray
(Pam, or I use melted butter).  Sprinkle
with salt if you want them salted (Kosher or pretzel salt – we use the salt
from store bought pretzels).  If you are
putting cinnamon sugar on them, do not salt. 
Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes, then spin the pan halfway around and
bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.  Remove and let them cool for a couple of
minutes.  Brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle on a heavy coating of cinnamon sugar
if you want cinnamon pretzels.  We make 4
original, and 4 cinnamon.