PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH PRETZELS

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH PRETZELS

Enjoy the spirit of German immigrants that made these pretzels well known in the
United States

light salt                              heavy salt

buttered with cinnamon and sugar

2-1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 packet yeast

4-5 cups flour

vegetable oil

1 tablespoon baking soda

coarse kosher salt

optional

butter, melted

cinnamon and sugar

mustard

Get Started

Put warm water, (warm as you can get from the sink faucet) brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt.  Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water solution.  Let sit for a few minutes.

(boiling water will kill the yeast)

wait...

Add 4 cups of flour to the liquid. Stir. Add the last cup of flour a little at a time, using just enough until you have a medium stiff dough that you can knead.

Knead by hand until the dough looks smooth and stretchy.

With a small amount of vegetable oil in your hands, lightly oil the dough

Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp towel.

Let the dough rise in a warm place,

 undisturbed, for about 1 hour.

it will rise, then...

punch it down

Place on a lightly floured board and divide into 15 pieces

Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 5 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put a gallon of water into a wide kettle and add the baking soda.

Bring just to a boil, then turn it down.

Keep the water just under boiling, a simmering stage.

Roll each piece of dough into a snake about 2 feet long.

make into a U shape

cross over

twist

pull the ends down to the bottom and attach

Place 3-4 at a time into the water and leave them in for 1 minute.

Take out and drain on towels.

Place pretzels on lightly greased baking sheets.
Salted and plain pretzels should be on separate baking sheets.

salt to taste and bake for 10 minutes or until browned

Enjoy lightly or heavily salted pretzels with yellow mustard.

For pretzels with cinnamon and sugar,
take a plain pretzel while it is still warm from the oven and
coat it with melted butter and dust with cinnamon and sugar

These pretzels are the best served right away
or enjoyed the same day.