Illustration by Francisco Caceres

Web Exclusive… Soft Pretzels By Joseph Estey, March-April 2004 An AARPmagazine.org reader-submitted recipe

Real Men Bake Bread (March-April 2004)

Recipe: Soft Pretzels

Recipe: Everyday White Bread

Recipe: Sweet Orange Rye

AARPmagazine.org’s Recipe Guide

(Makes six large pretzels)

Dough

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 cup tepid water

Browning "Dip"

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—until the dough is fairly smooth. It should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, sprinkle it with a tablespoon or two of water, and knead to mix. Cover the dough, and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface, fold it over a few times to gently deflate it, then divide it into six pieces, each weighing about 3 ounces. Roll each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the water, sugar, and baking soda. Shape each rope into a pretzel, and dip in the baking soda solution—this will help the pretzels brown. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve warm.