Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels

Yesterday Barry and I attend the National Festival of Breads in Manhattan KS. It was a day filled with baking demonstrations, bread sampling and a chance to watch eight bakers vie to become the 2017 grand prize winner. There were vendors, bread displays, BBQ demos, music and much more. A baker’s paradise!

We were so inspired that we came home and made pretzels using a recipe

demonstrated by Sharon Davis for the Home Baking Association. She wrote this recipe to fill the guidelines of a Smart Snack and emphasized that baking can fit into a healthy lifestyle.

There are LOTS of baking recipes, info and tips @ the Home Baking Association’s website: www.homebaking.org

Barry, who usually does not get involved in yeast baking, is a pro at shaping pretzels!

Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels         Makes 12 medium pretzels

1 pkg. (2 1⁄4 tsp.) fast rising yeast

1  cup warm water (115 to 120° F)  

2  tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter)

1  tablespoon granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour — may be whole red wheat flour (darker color) or whole white eat flour (lighter color); both are nutritionally the same

1 to 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg + 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten

Coarse salt, sesame, poppy or chopped roasted sunflower kernels

1. In a large mixing bowl, measure and combine 1 1⁄4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add warm water and oil to the mixture. Mix until moistened, then beat 3 minutes, by hand or with mixer (medium speed).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Stir in, 1⁄4 cup at a time, flour until dough forms a rough ball. Knead in the bowl or on a clean lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. (All the flour may not be needed.)
   
3. Turn the bowl over the dough and let it rest 10 to 30 minutes (Or, place dough in greased bowl or plastic bag; cover with lid or close bag.)
   
4. Punch dough down and knead into a smooth ball. Divide in 4. Divide again, each piece into thirds. Cover the dough to rest again, 5 minutes.
   
5. Roll or shape each piece into a “snake” or long thin cylinder, at least 18-­inches long.
   
6. Shape into pretzels. (During demo, Sharon instructed us to make a smiley face with the "snake,: twist ends twice and then fold twist onto the curve. We used a little water on the end to make sure they stuck.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7.  Cover with pan-­sprayed plastic wrap for 10 minutes on a well­greased or parchment-­lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425° F. For extra chewiness: After 10 minutes, lower each pretzel into a boiling bath, 10 seconds on each side. (Boiling bath = 6 cups boiling water + 6 tablespoons baking soda); drain; place on parchment-­lined or greased baking sheet.

   

   Boiling water foams as the baking soda is added.

   

   Place pretzels bottom side up in boiling water so that when you turn for the final 10 seconds in the water that they are right side up for easy removal to the greased baking sheet.

   
8. Brush the beaten egg and water over the pretzels. Optional: Sprinkle w/coarse salt or seeds.
   
9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 425° F. until golden. Cool on wire rack.
   
   
   
   

Explore these Smart Snack taste options taste and creative options...Multi-grain, Raisin, Cinnamon, Chocolate!

Multi-grain: Substitute 1⁄4 cup rye flour, soy flour, cornmeal, flax meal for 1⁄4 cup all purpose flour.
Raisin Cinnamon: Add 2 T. dry milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped raisin to the dough; sprinkle each pretzel with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon sugar mixture just before baking.

Chocolate: Add 2-3 T. cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1 egg to dough. Before baking, sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp. (3g) sparkling sugar.

Recipe written and prepared by: Sharon Davis, Family & Consumer Sciences Education, Home Baking Association, www.homebaking.org

Nutrition Facts: One of 12 pretzels—2 oz/54g

Calories, 130 Calories from fat – 25 (19% of calories)

Total fat: 2.5g (Saturated Fat: 0g; Trans fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg)

Sodium: 196 mg (1/8 tsp. Kosher salt adds 140 mg/pretzel)

Total carbohydrates: 23g (Dietary fiber: 3g  Sugars: 1 g)

Protein: 4g.

Vitamin A: 0%

Calcium: 0%

Vitamin C: 2%

Iron: 6%

Whole Grain Soft Pretzels are a Smart Snack unless salted seeds, coarse or Kosher salt are added as a topping.

Recipe without photos . . .

Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels         Makes 12 medium pretzels

1 pkg. (2 1⁄4 tsp.) fast rising yeast 

1  cup warm water (115 to 120° F)  

2  tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter)

1  tablespoon granulated sugar 

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour — may be whole red wheat flour (darker color) or whole white eat flour (lighter color); both are nutritionally the same

1 to 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg + 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten 

Coarse salt, sesame, poppy or chopped roasted sunflower kernels

1. In a large mixing bowl, measure and combine 1 1⁄4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add warm water and oil to the mixture. Mix until moistened, then beat 3 minutes, by hand or with mixer (medium speed).
2. Stir in, 1⁄4 cup at a time, flour until dough forms a rough ball. Knead in the bowl or on a clean lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. (All the flour may not be needed.)
3. Turn the bowl over the dough and let it rest 10 to 30 minutes (Or, place dough in greased bowl or plastic bag; cover with lid or close bag.)
4. Punch dough down and knead into a smooth ball. Divide in 4. Divide again, each piece into thirds. Cover the dough to rest again, 5 minutes.
5. Roll or shape each piece into a “snake” or long thin cylinder, at least 18-­inches long.
6. Shape into pretzels. (During demo, Sharon instructed us to make a smiley face with the "snake,: twist ends twice and then fold twist onto the curve. We used a little water on the end to make sure they stuck.)
7. Cover with pan-­sprayed plastic wrap for 10 minutes on a well­greased or parchment-­lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425° F. For extra chewiness: After 10 minutes, lower each pretzel into a boiling bath, 10 seconds on each side. (Boiling bath = 6 cups boiling water + 6 tablespoons baking soda); drain; place on parchment-­lined or greased baking sheet.
8. Brush the beaten egg and water over the pretzels. Optional: Sprinkle w/coarse salt or seeds.
9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 425° F. until golden. Cool on wire rack.