Soft Pretzels

Name: Soft Pretzels
Prep time: 6 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Yield: 60 pretzels
Ingredients: 2 (1/4 ounce) packages yeast; 1/2 cup warm water; 1 quart milk, scalded; 1/2 cup sugar; 3/4 cup shortening; 12 cups flour, divided; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 1/2 tablespoons salt; 2/3 cup baking soda; 2 quarts water; coarse salt

Submitted by maryannatwork

"From the Detroit Free Press dated 4-12-78. OMG these were wonderful. Wow, I haven't made these for almost 30 years. Very time consuming. The dough has to rise twice. After submitting, I tried a half recipe and it took 5 hours from start to finish. It's easier to rub the dough between your hands to make the ropes. Once you get them to 18 inches they snap back to 12 inches very quickly so you have to be quick forming the pretzel shapes. A few of my mistakes became 'pretzel buns' so I made a few more on purpose. Eat them within a few days. The ones I stored in a ziploc bag got sweaty and hard by day 4."

Download

Ready In:: 6hrs 15mins
Ingredients:: 11
Yields:: 60 pretzels

ingredients

2 (1/4 ounce) packages yeast
¹⁄₂ cup warm water
1 quart milk, scalded
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
³⁄₄ cup shortening
12 cups flour, divided
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
²⁄₃ cup baking soda
2 quarts water
coarse salt

directions

'Proof' yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Scald 1 quart of milk. Add shortening and sugar. Stir 'til melted. Let stand 'til lukewarm.
Add 6 cups of the flour and stir until smooth. Cover. Let rise in warm place, 30 minutes, until light and bubbly.
Stir down risen dough. Beat in remaining flour, baking soda and salt. Cover. Let rise in greased bowl until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down. Divide into 6 pieces. Let rest 10 minutes.
Divide each piece further into 10 pieces. Roll into rope 1/2" x 18". Twist into pretzel. Tuck ends under. When all are shaped, cover lightly with a towel.
Dissolve 2/3 cups baking soda in 2 quarts cold water and bring to a boil in a pan that's NOT aluminum.
Lower pretzels into boiling solution on slotted spatula for 5 seconds and remove. Drain.
Place on WAXED baking sheet. (Put baking sheets in oven as you preheat. At about 250 degrees take the pans out then rub hard with waxed paper.).
Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt.
Bake in 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until well-brown. Makes 5 dozen 5" pretzels.