Auntie Annie Soft Pretzels

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Aunt Annie's Soft Pretzels (Copycat)


Makes 12 pretzels

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast (half a packet)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups regular flour


For the water bath:

2 cups Warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Toppings

4 T melted butter
coarse salt
cinnamon mixed with sugar



Directions:
Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour ( I left it alone for an hour and didn't see any rising).

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 Tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick), twist and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet. Re-shape if necessary. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in 450 oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter and enjoy!

Toppings: after you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt. or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar.

Lee

pretzelsbefore.jpg


Ready for the oven

pretzelscooked.jpg


Out of the oven, brushed with melted butter and some topped with salt, some with cinnamon sugar

pretzelscloseup.jpg


Salted ones are my favorites!
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I'm bumping this up, since I see that JoeV is on and I'm hoping he will see (he helped me with the recipe).

Also, Joe, I don't think I did the yeast thing right (as usual).

I put it in the warm water, added sugar and salt, stirred, the water turned greyish and that was it.

The dough didn't rise either the first time or the second time. The pretzels tasted fine, but ..... YEAST HATES ME!!!

Lee
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
No, Lee yeast does not hate you. You added the salt too soon. Salt retards the growth of yeast. It is not only added to bread for flavor (so the bread won't taste flat) but also to keep the yeast in check so it doesn't grow too much. If you are adding salt when you are trying to bloom the yeast, you are retarding it at precisely the time you are starting to get it to grow when you are feeding it. You need to add the salt later with the flour.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. Thanks, Susan!

Well, why the heck didn't the recipe tell me to do that???

What should the yeast in water look like? Is it supposed to bubble or anything?

How long should I let the yeast in stay in the water and sugar before I mix it with the flour and salt?

With you guys' help, I'll perfect this damned recipe yet!

Lee
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
If you want consistent results and no yeast agony, stop buying that Active Dry Yeast, and start buying INSTANT YEAST that does not require proofing. You simply add it to your dry ingredients, blend well, then mix with the wet ingredients. In the past two years I have used over three pounds of Instant Yeast (that's over 300 loaves of bread, rolls, etc., and not a single failure due to yeast. When not baking, keep your Instant Yeast in an air-tight container in the freezer, and it will keep for two years. It's available at Sam's Club, Costco and other warehouse clubs for $3-$4 per pound, a significant savings over those little packets in the grocery store.

1257279515289.jpg
 

suziquzie

New member
If you want consistent results and no yeast agony, stop buying that Active Dry Yeast, and start buying INSTANT YEAST that does not require proofing. You simply add it to your dry ingredients, blend well, then mix with the wet ingredients. In the past two years I have used over three pounds of Instant Yeast (that's over 300 loaves of bread, rolls, etc., and not a single failure due to yeast. When not baking, keep your Instant Yeast in an air-tight container in the freezer, and it will keep for two years. It's available at Sam's Club, Costco and other warehouse clubs for $3-$4 per pound, a significant savings over those little packets in the grocery store.

1257279515289.jpg

:agree:
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Oh, for heaven's sakes! I saw the packets of instant yeast in the store, but got the regular instead.

Okay, well that's GREAT news, Joe!

I will amend my recipe and every other damned bread recipe I ever try! HA!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Lee
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Proofing only takes 5 minutes and it should grow in the measuring cup and be bubbly. It is a beigey color.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
The reason why folks prefer regular yeast to instant is that long, slow rises add flavor to bread. I am not saying not to use instant--I have used it, too but there is a difference especially when one makes rustic European loaves.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I hear you, Susan, but ..... I NEVER have had luck with yeast bubbling properly. The water is either too hot or too cold, or the yeast is old, or it doesn't like the outfit I'm wearing ... yeast uses all kinds of excuses for misbehaving. So I shun it. :mad:

But now that I know I can bake some things okay (if not great) with instant yeast, it's better than not trying at all.

I won't give up entirely, though. I've always said that I am going to learn how to bake delicious breads when I retire. The way things are going, that won't be for a quite awhile.

I appreciate the info. - thanks!

Lee
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
The reason why folks prefer regular yeast to instant is that long, slow rises add flavor to bread. I am not saying not to use instant--I have used it, too but there is a difference especially when one makes rustic European loaves.
I didn't know that, Susan! I've never used regular yeast before but I will try it. Thanks!
 

suziquzie

New member
Using instant yeast and letting the first "slurryish" (haha yes technical term) batter mixture rise 4-6 hours at a time gives you just the same developed flavor in my experience. Preztels aren't a rustic loaf........
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Of course you are right about pretzels, Suzi. I wandered into general yeast baking territory in an effort to help Lee.

I have used rapid rise yeast, instant yeast and regular yeast. The best part of the rapid rise and instant products is that they have encouraged more people to try yeast baking and have given people good results. The rising process really is where flavor develops.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Lee an easy trick to determine if the water is too warm is to test it against the inside of your wrist like baby formula. It should be warm but not hot. If it is cool--it will just take longer to bloom. You can mix the dough and let it rise in the fridge overnight and then form and shape your bread.
 
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