Pretzels & Pretzel Dogs

Pretzels & Pretzel Dogs

1 ½ cups warm water (105-115*)
1 pkg yeast
3 - 4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups regular flour
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons melted butter (if you use sweet butter it will taste better)

Put 1 ½ cups water in bowl and dissolve yeast in it. Stir in sugar & salt until dissolved; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise in a greased bowl for at least ½ hour.

Heat oven to 450*

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 pieces to either shape into a pretzel or wrap around a hotdog. Dip the pretzel or wrapped hotdog in the water bath and place on an oiled cookie sheet. (I use stoneware for this one.) After all dogs or pretzels are on the sheet cover with cloth and let rise for 10-30 minutes.

Brush pretzels or wrapped hotdogs with melted butter.

Bake pretzels for 10 minutes and pretzel dogs 15-17 minutes.

*** If you are making pretzels you can dip them in melted butter when they come out and dip them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar mix, or you can dip them in butter and crushed almonds…or anything of your choice. The crushed almond ones goes good with melted caramel. ***