# Pretzel Bread (Per Request)



## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

*Pretzel Bread*
2 Teaspoons of instant dry yeast
2 Cups warm (110F) water
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 Teaspoon honey
2 Tablespoons half-and-half
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
3 â€" 3 1/2 Cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons baking soda​
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, dark brown sugar & honey in a mixing bowl & mix well.

Melt the 3 tbsp of unsalted butter, then add the half-and-half. By adding the half & half to the melted butter, the half & half warms up a bit if it is straight out of the fridge. Add it to the above mixture & mix well.

Combine the bread flour & instant dry yeast together. Now fold 2 cups of it to the above liquid mixture continue mixing. Once the dough forms a wet mess, add a little of the remaining flour at a time & fold the new flour into the dough. After a few minutes the dough should stop sticking so the sides of the bowl as much & start to form a ball. Continue adding the remaining flour a little at a time & knead until the dough ball is just slightly sticky. At that point, turn it out of the bowl onto a clean, lightly floured surface or just flour your hands & pick it up. Now hand Knead the dough by folding it over & over in different directions until it gets sticky again, then sprinkle just a little more flour on it. Knead until the dough is smooth & just slightly sticky. It should form a fairly solid ball. All of the hard work is now done.

Take the now-smooth ball of dough & place it in the buttered bowl. Don't worry if the dough is just a little sticky, but it shouldn't stick to your floured hands anymore. After the dough is in the buttered bowl, flip it over once so that all sides are coated.

Cover the dough with either plastic wrap or a moist cloth and set it somewhere it will stay warm to rise.

After an hour, check on the dough. Because there is not much yeast in this particular bread it will probably take longer than an hour to get nearly doubled.

Once the yeast has nearly doubled, get a wide pot of water on the stove and add baking soda. More soda will add a stronger pretzel flavor. Additionally, a little honey can be added to sweeten the crust a bit. Let the water come to a boil while getting the dough together.

Get the oven pre-heating to 450 degrees.

Uncover the dough & punch it down. If the dough is sticky again, sprinkle a little flour around the sides & over the top. Peel the dough out of the bowl & turn it out onto a floured surface. At this point it can be cut & shaped into what will be its final shape. Keep in mind that the dough is going to have to be boiled & then removed from the boiling water... Smaller loaves or rolls will be easier to handle.

Shape the loaves & set them on a lightly floured surface, then cover lightly to rise while the water comes to a boil. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, carefully drop the loaves into the pot one at a time with the side that will be the bottom facing up. They should float right back up to the surface. If the water is not hot enough they will sink and stick, so be absolutely sure the water is boiling strongly. Also keep in mind that boiling water can burn you rather badly if the loaves are 'dropped' into the water too quickly.

Let each loaf float around for 30 seconds on each side. Using spatulas or a large, slotted spoon, remove the loaf from the boiling water & let it drain for a second or two, then place it on either a floured baking sheet (lightly greased) or parchment paper. Sprinkle the still-wet loaves with kosher salt to taste.

Using a very sharp razor blade/knife, cut an "x" onto the top of each loaf. Be sure to cut at an angle. The slices will let the loaves expand in the oven.

After the oven is up to temperature, set the loaves in the top 1/2 of the oven. Let them bake for ten minutes, turn them, & drop the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for another 10 or so minutes. The loaves should sound hollow when tapped on the top.

During the last few minutes of baking, the loaves should hit their maximum size & turn a dark brown.

Once the loaves are out of the oven, brush them lightly with melted butter for a softer, chewer crust. If they are not buttered the loaves will keep a crunchy crust.

Keep in mind that baking times may vary based on your oven. Store them at room temperature in a bag. The loaves will keep several days.

Enjoy!!!








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## surfsidefisher (May 14, 2013)

looks good, will try this thanks.


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## BayouBonsaiMan (Apr 14, 2009)

Thank you very much ! Mr.Ranch!


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## RLwhaler (Sep 10, 2005)

w_r_ranch said:


> *Pretzel Bread*
> 2 Teaspoons of instant dry yeast
> 2 Cups warm (110F) water
> 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
> ...


Oh Yes! finally! Thank you Ranch!


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## MrsTroutsnot (Sep 14, 2005)

Thanks SO much for this recipe...One of my favorite type breads, so anxious to try...


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