Pretzels

So, despite my best intentions this week, life happened and I wasn't able to get the "bread-recipe-a-day" up like I'd envisioned. So hopefully (if all works out :) ) I'll be able to make up for it today and tomorrow.

This is the pretzel recipe that the Parmesan Breadsticks are derived from. They are great fresh from the oven, but also taste great after they've been frozen and then thawed a few days later :) So I usually make a huge batch of them, then freeze what we don't eat that day.

Butter Pretzels
Dough proportions courtesy of The all-new Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook

1 1/2 cups warm water (divided)
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
Coarse Kosher or Sea Salt (or other yummy pretzel toppings)

Mix 1/2 cup warm water with the brown sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, mix the rest of the water, salt, and 2 cups of flour in a mixer with a dough hook. After the yeast is nice and bubbly, add it to the dough mixture along with another cup of flour. Mix on high for 7-8 minutes. With the last cup of flour, add in a little bit at a time until the dough is not sticky and doesn't stick to the sides. You may or may not use all of that last cup. Beat on high again for 2-3 more minutes.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough into a rectangle until it is about 12-18 inches from top to bottom and and about 1/3" - 1/2" thick.Take a pizza cutter and slice long strips from top to bottom so each slice is about 1-1 1/2" wide and about 12-18 inches long. *Note: You can roll these into long ropes by hand if you want, but I have to admit, that takes too long and is too tedious for my taste :)

Fold each strip into a pretzel shape by forming each strip into a U-shape. Cross the ends and twist. Bring the ends to the curved end of the U-shape to form the pretzel.Set the pretzel on an ungreased pan. When your pan is full, brush each pretzel generously with the melted butter. Bake at 475 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. After removing the pan from the oven, and while they are still hot, brush each breadstick with the butter again, and sprinkle immediately with Kosher Salt (or cinnamon sugar, or cheese or whatever you like!). Enjoy!

Breadsticks, Cinnamon rolls and other yummy things!

I absolutely love bread! Fresh from the oven breadsticks, rolls, loaves, baguettes, pretzels, croissants... Mmmm...it's simply heaven! I'm still trying to figure out how to make lots of yummy varieties, but for now I'll share a couple of my favorites this week and we'll cap it off with cinnamon rolls or other tasty treats Saturday morning. (for the cinnamon rolls: just email me, leave a comment, or call me, to put in an order. If all works out well, I should be able to do some other tasty treats for ordering this week as well. I'll keep you posted.) Sound good? Alright, let's get going :)

This breadstick recipe was a happy accident. We love making pretzels and Dave suggested I use his breadstick herb butter topping on some pretzel dough and make them into breadsticks. It worked and a new family favorite was born. Parmesan Breadsticks
dough proportions courtesy of The all-new Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook


Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water (divided)
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt


Herb Butter
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Parmesan for dusting breadsticks

Mix 1/2 cup warm water with the brown sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, mix the rest of the water, salt, and 2 cups of flour in a mixer with a dough hook. After the yeast is nice and bubbly, add it to the dough mixture along with another cup of flour. Mix on high for 7-8 minutes. With the last cup of flour, add in a little bit at a time until the dough is not sticky and doesn't stick to the sides. You may or may not use all of that last cup. Beat on high again for 2-3 more minutes.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough into a rectangle until it is about 12-18 inches from top to bottom and and about 1/3" - 1/2" thick depending on how thick you like your breadsticks. Take a pizza cutter and slice long strips from top to bottom so each slice is about 1-1 1/2" wide and 12-18 inches long.

Take each strip and fold in half, then twist. Set breadstick on an ungreased pan. Fold and twist several more of your breadsticks and space them apart an inch or two on the pan. When your pan is full, brush each breadstick generously with the herb butter mixture. Bake at 475 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. After removing the pan from the oven, and while they are still hot, brush each breadstick with the herb mixture again, and sprinkle immediately (and generously!) with Parmesan Cheese. Then sit back and enjoy!