perfect game day treat.

though ryan and i are not die-hard sports fans, there is something that feels so right about having football on the t.v. on a fall afternoon (it still feels like summer here, but hey, a girl can dream).  one of my very favorite things about football season is... the food!!  food is really my favorite part of most events, but football season food tends to fall in a category all its own ;o).  


for some reason, i'd really been wanting to make soft pretzels?  yesterday was the perfect day to do just that!!  aside from having to plan just a bit to let the dough rise, they were really pretty easy.  and thanks to my photographer (ry), i have way more photos of the actual process than usual!  and for once i'll actual write out the recipe in full- you're welcome ;o).


Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (it only took us 4 1/2)
Vegetable oil
12 cups water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse sea salt

combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. let sit for 5 minutes.

add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. if the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda. i'd never added baking soda to boiling water before- it was like a witch's cauldron! cheap thrills ;o).

remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. don't worry about flouring your surface, the dough is soft but not sticky.

divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape: take the right side and cross over to the left.  (we definitely weren't precise with our 22 inches, and they came out great!) cross right to left again and flip up.

boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. remove with a large flat slotted spatula. 

place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. 

in my book, no pretzel is a pretzel if it doesn't have a side of cheese :o).

not to pat ourselves on the back, but ry and i were amazed at how delicious these were. they were like real pretzels- even better than the kind in the mall ;o). give 'em a try, you won't be disappointed!