Crisp, golden-brown crust, a soft and chewy inside make these savory treats a crowd-favorite and a classic that has continued to gain among pretzel lovers, both young and old. With a handful of inexpensive ingredients, allow me to show you how I made Amish Pretzels.
Difficulty Level: Easy & Fun!
I will admit that this pretzel recipe takes an hour and 40 minutes to complete; however, it’s quite simple. All you’ll need to do is make the dough, allow it to rise, portion, shape, and bake. Once you catch a whiff of the freshly baked pretzels, you won’t remember how long they took to make.
The Kids Will Love Them
If you’ve got little ones at home, this recipe is a fantastic way to introduce them to baking. Get them to help you combine the ingredients for the dough and make fun shapes as an enticing activity. They enjoy eating the fruits of their labor, and you’ll get to spend more time with them.
How To Serve Amish Pretzels
I love having these pretzels warm with a glass of iced tea; they’re great with hummus or guacamole; you can even coat them in some cinnamon sugar if you’re feeling for something sweet. They’re perfect for picnics, potlucks, movies, or game nights. Gather your friends or family and enjoy some tasty food and good company!
Serving Size
The serving size of this recipe is 12. With a dozen large pretzels, you’ll have plenty to share a snack with friends and family. There’s nothing like having a savory pretzel for an afternoon snack while binging on your favorites series or catching up on that book you didn’t finish.
Equipment Needed
Bowl– Use 2-3 bowls to prep ingredients.
Electric Mixer– You’ll need an electric hand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
Knife– Use this to portion the dough.
Whisk– Using this to combine dry ingredients.
Baking Pan– Use 2 baking sheets to bake the pretzels.
Main Ingredients
Yeast– I recommend using a tablespoon of Red Star active dry yeast as the main leavening agent for the pretzels; however, you can use whichever brand suit you best. If you’ve had the yeast for a while, test it before using it to ensure that it hasn’t gone bad.
Substitutes
Self-rising Flour– I used 2 cups of self-rising flour and an equal amount of bread flour to make the dough. Don’t have any SR flour? Make it at home! Combine 2 cups of pastry flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, remeasuring and use.
All The Ingredients
路 Yeast– Used to leaven the pretzels dough.
路 Warm Water– Mixed with the yeast.
路 Flours– Combined with the yeast mixture, sugar, and oil to make the dough.
路 Sugar– Gives a hint of sweetness to pretzels.
路 Oil– Contributes to a soft texture.
路 Baking Soda– Mixed with the hot water.
路 Hot Water– Used to make a solution to coat the pretzels before baking.
路 Butter– Melted and applied to the baked pretzels.
路 Salt– Sprinkle onto the baked and buttered pretzels for flavor and appearance.
How We Made Amish Pretzels
1. Combine the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer, let it stand for 2 minutes.
2. Beat the oil, sugar, bread flour, and self-rising flour into the yeast mixture until blended.
3. Knead the mixture for about 2-3 minutes until it forms a ball of dough.
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic and allow it to rise for 45 minutes. The dough should be doubled in size by that time.
5. Heat the oven to 450 degrees and grease part of a clean surface with cooking spray.
6. Place the dough onto the greased area, shape it into a rectangle, then divide into 12 even pieces.
7. On the ungreased section of the counter, roll and stretch a piece of the dough into a thin, long (arm’s length) rope.
8. Position the piece into a U shape, bring both ends together and wrap them around each other twice.
9. Hold the intertwined ends and pull them down to the base of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Repeat these steps with the remaining pieces of dough.
10. Combine the hot water and baking soda in a large bowl until blended and set a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl.
11. Dip each pretzel into the liquid, then dab the base on the towel to absorb the excess moisture. Whisk the liquid between each pretzel.
12. Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are deep golden brown.
13. Brush the surface of the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve warm.
Grease The Counter
After making the dough, I turned it out on a partially oiled counter. Why did I grease the area? I did this to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface; it also made it easier to handle while shaping and portioning.
Make The Dough
I used an electric stand to combine all the ingredients for the pretzel dough; It made the process fast and easy. However, mixers tend to be quite expensive, but you can still make pretzels by hand if you don’t have one. You’ll need to use a little elbow grease, but the pretzels will taste just as good.
How To Store Amish Pretzels
These pretzels are so yummy that it’s understandable that you’d want to keep them as fresh as possible. Okay, so here’s how you can do that, place your pretzels into an airtight container and store them in a cool place, but sure to eat them within two days. To store the pretzels longer, you can freeze them for up to a month.
These pretzels are, hands down, one of the most delicious snack foods you could have. If you’re looking to treat yourself to something savory and tasty, these jumbo soft pretzels are a must-try! They’re so good that I guarantee you’ll have more than just one.
Amish Pretzels
Crisp, salty, and delicious homemade Amish pretzels done easy!
Ingredients
- 1 tbs active dry yeast
- 1录 cup warm water (slightly above lukewarm)
- 2 cup self-rising flour
- 2 cup bread flour
- 录 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 陆 cup baking soda
- 3 cups hot water (not hot enough to burn you)
- 4 tbs butter (melted)
- A sprinkle of rock salt
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, combine the yeast and warm water, and allow the mixture to sit for 2 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add both flours, brown sugar, and oil and mix until blended.
- Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it comes together into a ball, transfer to a greased bowl, and cover with plastic for 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat oven to 450ºF or 230°C. Use cooking spray to coat a small area on your countertop, then turn out the dough on the oiled spot.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle, cut it into 12 equal pieces, place a piece of dough on the ungreased side of the counter, and roll it into a long and thin rope. Roll to about arm's length.
- Position the dough rope into a U shape, grab both ends and wrap them around each other twice, then place the twined ends to the bottom of the U to create the pretzel shape. Repeat with the other 11 pieces of dough.
- In a large bowl, mix the baking soda and hot water until blended. Next, place a clean, folded kitchen towel beside the bowl.
- Submerge the pretzel in the mixture, then dap the bottom of the pretzel on the towel and transfer to a lined cookie sheet. Whisk the mixture between dipping each pretzel as the baking soda tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl.
- Bake the pretzels for 5-10 minutes, or until they are a deep golden color. Remove them from the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!
