Over the weekend I found myself thinking of German Beer. I was in the imported beer section of a specialty store, and I couldn’t decide which kind to get. Usually when I can’t make up my mind, I go for the one with the coolest label. The label I ended up going with had three images, one of which was a pretzel. It suddenly came to me, that I don’t know where to get a decent, fresh pretzel. This is a shame, as pretzels are undoubtedly one of the best snacks ever, and no one should be depraved of these delicious treats. This recipe is for anyone else that has no place to get a decent pretzel.

Here’s what you will need:
3.5 cups of flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
Seasoning (bakers choice, see below)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, slowly add water whole mixing. Once the dough is smooth take out and form 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 30-35 inch long snake about the thickness of a nickel. Now if you’re crafty you can make all kinds of cool shapes with these. Take whatever shapes you make and put them on a cookie tray that has some kind of non stick surface. This can be achieved by using canola spray or cornmeal. Allow the pretzels to rise for about 30 min.

At this stage, make sure your oven is preheated to 400. Deciding what flavor you want your pretzels to have is a big part of the fun for me. For the traditional pretzel flavor, use a brush to coat each pretzel with the beaten egg. Add water if it’s too thick. You can also add other things to the egg for flavor. You can add butter, hot sauce, Italian salad dressing- it’s up to you. Then or course don’t forget to add a sprinkle of something, be it salt, pepper, garlic, or Parmesan cheese or even skittles. There has to be something. This is also another part where being creative can really be fun!

Bake pretzels for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. I prefer to eat them fresh, warm and soft, however you may wish to leave them out for a crunchier experience. Either way, they are sure to be a hit at the next family gathering. My personal favorite pretzel is the one eaten while on vacation in Germany, but I don’t get those too often! Enjoy!

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