I’ve been tempting you with these pretzels for days. They’ve been sitting in the sidebar, taunting you with their fluffy, cinnamon sugary-ness. Well, friends, it’s finally time to get your pretzel on.
Did you know that there is such a thing as National Pretzel Day? Me neither. I don’t know which pretzel company came up with such a thing, but they succeeded in making me crave a soft pretzel on April 26th. How could I not when my Pinterest and WordPress feeds were (figuratively) dripping in photos of pretzels?
This little recipe comes from Joanne over at Fifteen Spatulas. Not only does Joanne focus on cooking real food from scratch, but she shares my love for cinnamon sugar soft pretzels from Auntie Anne’s. A woman after my own heart. Speaking of hearts, these twisty bready treats are made with whole wheat flour, which is high in fiber and therefore better for the ol’ ticker than those refined flours. So go ahead and drench them in butter and sugar. ; ) Here goes!
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels – via Fifteen Spatulas
- 12.5 oz whole wheat flour (2.5 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet Platinum Red Star Yeast*
- 1 cup very warm water (120-125 degrees F)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda
- coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar in the raw
*A note on the yeast: Joanne suggests that because we’re using whole wheat flour, the Platinum Red Star yeast is a must. It happened to be the same price as all the other packets of yeast, so I went for it. If you decide to try this recipe using a different brand, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Method:
Combine the ingredients for the dough in the mixing bowl of your standing mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon until shaggy and somewhat combined. Using the dough hook, stir on low for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and just slightly sticky to the touch.
Place the dough in a freezer bag (or an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap) and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450F and grease your cookie sheet.
Place the dough on a clean surface and separate into 8 equal pieces by cutting with a knife. Check out these beautiful little triangles of gluten-y goodness!
Prepare the baking soda wash by whisking the baking soda in the water and heating it in the microwave for one minute.
Roll each of the dough pieces out into a long skinny rope, then twist into a pretzel shape. Joanne’s blog has some great photos and video if you need a bit of help imagining how to do it.
Dip each pretzel into the soda wash and then place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each pretzel with a bit of coarse salt and let rest for about 10 minutes.
Bake for just about 9 minutes, until the pretzels are golden brown and the bottoms are slightly crispy.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Brush the pretzels with melted butter and then dip in the cinnamon sugar while the pretzels are still warm.
The scent of these fluffing up in the oven is enough to prompt an unexpected visit from your neighbor and the flavor will keep them coming back for more. The texture is light and airy, with a nice whole grain earthiness. Add the sweetness and crunch of the cinnamon-sugar and I’m pretty much ready to marry this thing.
If you prefer, you can skip the cinnamon sugar and add some more coarse salt and perhaps some fresh herbs. Or brush them with garlic butter. Or whip up a cheese dip. Or smother them in peanut butter. I mean, the pretzel is essentially twisty bread, so the flavor possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Enjoy!
