Soft Pretzel For One

 

I know you probably read the title and thought, "Soft pretzel for one...really? It's probably not a 'real' pretzel though. It's probably biscuit dough and not yeast dough or something. "

Well...you'd be wrong.

It's totally a "real" pretzel.

With yeast and everything.

Why make one pretzel, you ask?

Well...because otherwise you'd eat 400 and blow up in a horrible yeast and salt induced explosion.

And...we don't want that.

Well...maybe we do...but...we probably shouldn't want that. We are trying to eat healthier and all that. Aren't we?

Anyways...

This is so super simple - even if you are not used to baking with yeast - that anyone can give it a go. Even if things go horribly amiss and the dough doesn't work...you are only out very little ingredients. Aaaand...it only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish so you aren't out a lot of your time either.

So..

What are you waiting for?

You have nothing to lose and a delicious, soft, crusty, salty pretzel to gain.

 

 

Soft Pretzel For One

 

Ingredients

1/3 cup flour

1/8 tsp sugar

generous pinch salt

1/4 tsp quick rise yeast

1/4 tsp dried chives

3 - 4 Tbsp very hot water (110 - 120 degrees)

 

1/2 cup water

1 tsp baking soda

 

1/2 Tbsp milk

1/4 tsp sesame seeds

sprinkle coarse sea salt

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 450. Line a pie plate with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper very well with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and dried chives. Stir in hot water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until soft dough forms. (Dough should be a bit sticky)

 

 

Pat into a ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

After dough has rested, on a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into an approx 20 inch rope.

 

 

Make the rope into a "U" shape, twist the ends over each other and then fold them down over the bottom of the "U" to make a pretzel shape.

 

 

In a small saucepan, bring the half a cup of water to a simmer. Stir in baking soda.

Carefully drop the pretzel into the simmering water. Leave for about 5 seconds then flip over and let simmer another 5 seconds.

Transfer to the prepared pie plate. Using a pastry or basting brush, paint with a little bit of milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sea salt.

 

 

Bake in 450 oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 - 20 minutes.

 

 

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. (I made a honey mustard dipping sauce by mixing together 1 tsp mustard, 1 Tbsp mayo, 1 tsp honey)

A couple of notes --

1. Remember to spray the parchment paper with cooking spray or else the dough will stick to the paper.

2. Your topping ingredients are almost endless. You could use a little poppy seed, cheese, just the coarse salt, OR you could go the sweet route and use cinnamon sugar or coconut, etc and just leave out the dried chives.

 

 

Ooooooh....soft on the inside, crusty on the outside. I love the honey mustard but you could use ranch dip, Caesar dip, or no dip at all. You definitely want to eat this fresh out of the oven though while it is still warm.

All I can say is, good thing it only makes one or all hopes of me controlling my bread intake would be out the window.

 

Be sure to visit The Rustic Pig and Jam Hands and Feeding Big and Memories By The Mile and Chef In Training for some great links!