Pretzel Bread!

One of my favorite grocery shopping day treats (you know, the one thing you allow yourself to buy and eat immediately when you go shopping) is a Wegman’s Pretzel Roll. Before I tasted this scrumptiousness, I had no idea that such a concept was even out in the world. Since my husband is an accomplished bread baker, we decided that he should probably learn how to make them and make them often. We found a great recipe and, with some modifications, came up with a pretzel roll that not only rivals Wegman’s, but might even be better. It’s definitely better for us, since we can now have them whenever we want and they will always be warm and fresh! If you enjoy soft pretzels, you have got to try these!

Since i lost the link after saving this to MS word, here’s the recipe…slightly varied from the original, and soooo delicious!

Thanks be to whomever my wife pinched this from!

Mike’s Signature Pretzel Bread –makes 10 2 ½ oz rolls

• 2 ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
• 2 Tbsp room temperature milk
• 1 tsp malt syrup
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 ½ – 3 cups bread flour
• 4 quarts water
• ½ cup baking soda
• Kosher salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp melted butter

Add yeast, water, milk, brown sugar and butter into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined.  Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate.  Mix in kosher salt.  Start by adding two cups of the flour to the bowl, combining it with other ingredients.  Add more flour as it’s needed, reserving just a bit for coating the dough mat later.

The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball.  Oil the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny.  Place dough back in the bowl and recover for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil.  When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently degas it.  Form 10 2 ½ oz balls of dough, forming them into the shape you want.  Drop balls into the baking soda bath for no longer than 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered.  Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet.

Sprinkle the kosher salt over the bread to your specific tastes, and make sure to use a knife to cut a small incision on the top of the bread so the dough has somewhere to expand.

Cook the bread for approx 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.

Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the loaves to guarantee a soft crust.

This recipe really is the bomb!

Try it and see for yourselves!