Soft Pretzels

I baked these chewy and soft pretzels on Sunday for our afternoon tea time. It has been a long while since I made pretzels. Hubby and the daughters missed them so much, especially  my elder girl. Her comment after taking her first bite was "This is the taste!"

This pretzel recipe uses cooking oil instead of butter. Thus, a healthier version that I always go to for soft pretzels.

 

I doubled the recipe and yield 14 pretzels.
  
Soft Pretzels
(Adapted from Sugarlaws)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp Pinch of sugar
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil

• 3 tbsp baking soda
• 1 cup hot water (around 60 degree C)

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• Cinnamon Sugar (1 tbsp caster sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon)

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored.
2. Mix flour, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl. Add canola oil and yeast mixture. Knead until combined (about 5-10 minutes).  Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.  When the dough has risen, pinch into small 14 balls with hand and roll each of the balls into a long strand.  Set aside.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Next, pick up the first one and pull to stretch it longer (the gluten will have relaxed at this point and thus allow it elastic to stretch longer).
5. Twist each of the stretched strand dough into a pretzel shape and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Dissolve baking soda into hot water and stir until dissolved.  Quickly dip each rolled pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the baking sheet.  Bake for about 8 minutes, until pretzels have browned.
7. Once they are taken out from the over, brush the top of the hot pretzels with the melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar on top.

Best enjoy while warm or reheat in microwave oven again if serving later. Serve with caramel sauce for dipping.