Summer Snacks: Philly Soft Pretzel Recipe

The popularity of Philadelphia's soft pretzels reach far beyond the city limits. The oft-twisted snacks, which find their roots in the German community, have become widely available in a variety of shapes. Today, you'll find soft pretzels sold at stadium events, in convenience stores and on nearly every street corner. Online vendors based in the 'City of Brotherly Love' will gladly send you a dozen gift-boxed pretzels-- often for as much as $20.00. The following recipe will enable you to make twenty traditionally-shaped, six braided or well over one hundred bite-sized soft pretzels for around two dollars.

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
5 1/2 cups all pupose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt

2 quarts boiling water
4 tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons coarse salt
Egg wash (1 egg white, 1 tablespoon water, lightly whisked)

Directions:
In the working bowl of a standing mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Add salt and stir then add vegetable oil. Add 3 cups of flour and set mixer to speed setting number "2". After two minutes, add remaining flour and continue mixing for 5-6 minutes.

Cover with a clean cloth and allow dough to rise for 45-50 minutes.

When dough has doubled in size, move to a floured surface and punch down. Dough will resemble a large pizza crust. Cut in quarters then continue cutting each piece to yield a total of 20 pieces of dough. Roll each into a ball, then roll again into a long rope shape, roughly 18 inches long.

At this point, dough can be shaped into traditional pretzel shapes, braided or cut into individual pretzel bites. If this is your first time making soft pretzels, the small size of the pretzel bites make them easier to work with.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set nearby the stove. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 quarts water to a boil. Add baking soda and stir.

Drop pretzel bites into the water, 5 or 6 at a time. Leave in boiling water until pretzels float, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or kitchen spider, remove the boiled pretzels from the water. Immediately brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Working in small batches, repeat the process arranging the salted pretzels on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes until golden-brown. Transfer pretzels to a wire rack to cool. For best texture and freshness, store pretzels in a paper bag for up to two days.