Hard Pretzel Bites

From the Kitchen of: Emily Balling

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups warm water (105-110 degrees F)

2 tsp. of active dry yeast

1 Tbs. sugar

4 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. baking soda

1 egg

Directions:

1.      In a large bowl, combine water with yeast and sugar and let sit for 5 minutes till foamy.

2.      In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt.  Add to the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon till dough forms (Personally I just add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture.)

3.      Turn dough out onto a flour-dusted work surface and knead for about 5 minutes until elastic.  (I just knead in the bowl to save on mess.)

4.      Place dough in oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes till doubled in size.  (I add oil to the bottom of my used bowl.)

5.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda to it, stirring well.

7.      Pinch off walnut sizes of dough (we do a tad smaller) and roll in your hands.  Lightly oiled hands help.  About 75 pieces, unless you are making the traditional shaped pretzel for some of your pretzels.

8.      Using a slotted spoon, transfer pieces into boiling water,(you will have to do a few batches for all 75.) and parboil till they float, about 30 seconds.  If they float right away still parboil 30 seconds.

9.      Make an egg wash by beating 1 egg with 1 T water.  Brush the egg wash over each bite and sprinkle with coarse salt.

10.  Lay the pretzels on an oiled baking sheet or parchment-paper covered baking sheet.  Bake 55-60 minutes until golden and brown and hard.  If they aren’t as crunchy as you like turn off the oven and let them sit in a while more…but watch that they don’t burn.

11.  Cool for 15 minutes and store in an air tight container for up till a week, if they last that long!

*** We make pretzels as a tradition for the fourth of July.  We learned from Mary Jane Farm Girl’s magazine, that the twisted pretzel originally symbolized folded arms, so this tradition reminds us of our lovely rite to worship as we may in this country.  Since they are some work, it’s a one time a year ordeal, and Riley my husband helps to boil them and the children all roll balls for the bites and snakes for the pretzels.  It’s a fun family activity!