Best Aunties Delicious Soft Pretzels Amish Recipes

ALMOST-FAMOUS SOFT PRETZELS (AUNTIE ANNE'S COPY CAT)

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a saucepan until it's about 110 degrees; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. Dice 2 tablespoons of the butter and soften; stir into mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly flour surface. (If dough seems tight, cover and let rise until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece in the palms of your hands into a 30 inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, turning to coat; place on a wire rack to let excess butter to drip off. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce or cream cheese.

LEGIT SOFT PRETZELS -- JUST LIKE AUNTIE ANNE'S

Steps:

• Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about one and a half minutes, to about 110º.
• Stir the yeast into the milk and let it sit for about 3 minutes.
• Add the butter and sugar to the milk and stir to mix.
• Add the flour to the milk, about 1 cup at a time and add the fine salt as you add the flour. Mix w/ a spoon.
• Knead for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand.
• Put kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.
• Let rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450º.
• Punch down dough and divide into 12 lumps -- this is easiest if you divide it in half, cut each half into three lumps, then cut each lump in half.
• Combine the warm water and baking soda in a shallow dish (e.g. and 8x8 baking dish); stir/whisk until the baking soda is as dissolved as possible.
• Roll all 12 lumps of dough out as thin as you can -- they will shrink up quickly so getting the thinnest ropes possible is key.
• Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then quickly dip in the baking soda water. I found this works best when you roll out 2-3 pretzels, dip them, then put them on the baking sheet.
• Place rolled, dipped pretzels on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned.
• Dip each in the melted butter while hot.

AMISH SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• For the pretzels: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the honey and yeast to the warm water in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Add the bread flour, wheat germ, if using, baking powder, table salt and 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and combine.
• Add the yeast mixture and the melted butter and mix for 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add some of the remaining flour. Mix on low speed to knead the dough until it becomes stretchy and slightly sticky, about 5 minutes.
• Spray the dough with cooking spray and roll it around to oil the bowl, then cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then spray the paper with cooking spray.
• For the soaking solution: Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water in a large bowl or cake pan.
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 10 equal portions.
• Roll each portion into an 18-inch rope and shape into a pretzel.
• Dip each pretzel in the soaking solution, turning so each side is submerged, then allow to drip off for a few seconds. Arrange the pretzels on the prepared sheet pans about 1 inch apart.
• To finish: Beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Brush the freshly baked pretzels with the melted butter.