Soft Pretzel Twists

Pretzel Dough:

1½ C. warm water

1 T. sugar

2 tsp. sea salt

2¼ tsp. instant yeast

4½ C. flour

¼ C. (1/2 a stick) butter, melted

8 C. water

½ C. baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

.

Garlic Parmesan:

5 cloves garlic, crushed

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

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Cinnamon Sugar:

1 T. cinnamon mixed with 4 T. sugar

3 T. butter, melted

.

Everything:

4 tsp. poppy seeds.

4 tsp. sesame seeds.

4 tsp. dried garlic

4 tsp. dried onion

1 tsp. sea salt

.

Sea Salt & Rosemary:

3 T. fresh rosemary

3 T. sea salt

.

Pepperoni Pizza:

Mini pepperoni, sliced thin

Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

 

Preheat oven to 200°F. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together warm water, sugar, salt and yeast; let sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Add the flour and butter and mix on low speed until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with aluminum foil, and place in the oven. TURN OVEN OFF. Let the dough rise in the warm oven for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope, fold it in half, twist end over end, and shape into a circle, pinching the ends together. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Bring 8 C. of water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Using a flat spatula, drop the pretzel twists into the boiling water and boil for 45 seconds. Depending on the size of your pot you may need to boil one at a time. Remove twists from the water and brush lightly with the beaten egg. Proceed with your topping of choice.

 

Garlic Parmesan topping: Spread the garlic over the tops of the pretzels, then sprinkle lightly with Parmesan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden and puffed. Remove from oven and brush a bit of melted butter over the tops, then sprinkle with more Parmesan. Serve warm.

 

Cinnamon Sugar topping: Bake pretzels for 12-14 minutes, until golden and puffed. Remove from oven and brush lightly with melted butter, then generously cover with cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

 

Everything topping: Mix the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt, then sprinkle over top of the pretzels. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned. Serve warm.

 

Sea Salt & Rosemary topping: Sprinkle rosemary and sea salt over the pretzels. Bake 12-14 minutes, until golden and puffed. Serve warm.

 

Pepperoni Pizza topping: Place the pepperoni and mozzarella slices on the pretzel tops, making sure to get some in all the cervices. Bake 12-14 minutes, until golden and puffed. Serve warm.