I don’t think I have made pretzels since my own childhood, and I never really felt like trying again. However, Daphne is a dedicated pretzel fan, and the jar of pretzels at our house was empty. Lina and Daphne were ready to run out to Winco to get more, and I told them we didn’t have the car today. They were brainstorming for a while -“I’ll just watch out the window and see if there is a car we could borrow,” or “We could call Nana and she could take us.”
Since I didn’t really want to put out the “HELP! HELP! We are out of pretzels” alarm, I suggested we make some. I had to warn them that they would not be like the pretzels they know so well, but rather big and smooshy. They were o.k. with that. Now, I want to tell you that I am not saying these are the best pretzels out there or anything like it, but they were shockingly easy and didn’t even have to rest or rise or anything – making them perfect for what we needed. A mid morning project that turned into an early lunch that made the children forget that we are out of pretzels. If you happen to have any warm bread lovers at your house, this is an easy way to satisfy.
1 1/2 c. warm water, 1 packet rapid rise yeast, 1 T. sugar, 1 t. salt. Mix together with enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead a bit, and then cut into pieces (we made four). Roll into snakes, coil into pretzel like shapes. We did an egg white wash and salt, then baked at 425 for about 20 minutes.
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Yay, your pans look like mine: frequently used and not compulsively scrubbed. 🙂
Oh, they look wonderful! Just the thing I’ve been looking for to do with my 4 year old, of course my 9 year old would never turn down an opportunity to bake either. Thank you for the idea and the inspiration! The Lord is so kind to send us these little encouragements.
Yummy!
We loved buying “Aunt Annie’s Pretzels” when we lived in Texas, but couldn’t find them up here. So my daughter, whose name happens to be Anne, pressed me to make them. We found this really fun recipe at copykat.com. You can just type “pretzels” for the search, and then click on “Auntie Anne’s Pretzels”. They are a little more trouble to make, but they taste wonderful.
Hey Liz…
From here, those pretzels look mighty good. Please tell Lina and Daphne “thank you” for encouraging you to find a way to end the pretzel crisis.
Baking is not my glory so this is the perfect recipe for me. And btw, Mackenzie is loving the food processor/french bread recipe. Charles has another convert.
Bake on.
You did it! Don’t know whether you remember, but I (only half-jokingly) asked if you had a recipe so we could try making them for Lent next year. Yippeee!
Luma, wanna do lunch with the girlies? 🙂
Yes. Lots of fun!
Sounds good. Can I come too?
Mystie- I don’t know what you’re talking about! My pans are gleaming!
Megan- I don’t remember that comment at all (I must have missed it), but I am glad that I pulled through randomly – too funny!
Lucy – I know Mackenzie is getting deep in it, and I am certain you will too one of these times! I am making a batch of pizza dough for calzones tonight, it is just so useful! You just got to give it a chance!
Thanks for sharing your recipes and with your delightful touch of humor! We just whipped your big batch of “Luke’s cookies”. I have a Luke too! (whose 2!)
Nancy, you’re always welcome at my table.
xoxoxo
I am enjoying some of these pretzels as I type this. I did some experimenting this morning when there wasn’t quite enough room in one pan for all of them. So… I fried a few. They were great, and so were the baked ones. This was a fun way to introduce my toddler to baking. Thanks!
These look DELICIOUS!
Our 11-yo son William made these yesterday by himself! They were beautiful and we ate them for supper. He’s a cool kid.
I made these last night and they were great! I couldn’t believe how quickly they were ready. I think next time I’ll make them bite size…there is a little kiosk at the mall here in Boise that serves “pretzel bites” which got me through the first six months of my second pregnancy. Just roll the dough into a rope, then cut into bite-size pieces and bake (probably for a shorter period of time) then serve with melted butter drizzled over them and a sprinkle of salt. Very yummy with lemonade.
Well, after having quite the meltdown(I do humbly admit), I am now going to follow this recipe and the wise advice of the racquetball court…I think we will have peanuts, pretzels, popcorn, and pop for lunch.
and peaches!
Did somebody get the meltdown on film and put it on YouTube? Oh, wait…wrong thread. 😉
I don’t think that me sitting by the computer crying because the kids got all dirty *right* before we were supposed to walk to the library is very exciting…but, hey, whatever floats your boat. 😛 (I wonder where they get all the DRAMA from…? Hm…)
I tried the pretzel “bites” thing. I works just fine. Make thick ropes, cut into small squares and bake for about 10 minutes at 425. Serve with melted butter and coarse salt. Only, make a double or a triple batch…
So I’m just getting around to trying these, since I’m having a troop of youngsters over for pretzel making and Lenten stories next week. And although the pretzels were beautiful, they stuck like heck to the pans. I had to soak and scrub for an hour! Mine were also a bit on the bread-y side, not soft and chewy like pretzels. I dunno if this is just the result of not doing the traditional boiling-before-baking thing, or if I’m just a perpetually noviced baker. Any suggestions, Rachel? Thanks heaps!