Soft Pretzel Sticks with Honey Mustard Dip
Soft Pretzel Sticks or Rolls from Kid Chef Bakes. This recipe also halves quite nicely.
Servings 24 sticks or 12 rolls
Cost 5
Ingredients
Pretzels:
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) (330 grams)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (500 grams plus more
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, Morton kosher measures like table
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft (almost melted) (56 grams)
Water Bath and Egg Wash
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda (you can use less -- ⅓ cup is fine)
- 1 large egg yolk or 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pretzel salt or coarse salt
Honey Mustard Dip
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment on. Stir together 1 ½ cups of warm water, sugar, and yeast until blended, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add about 3 ½ cups (440 grams) of flour, the salt, and butter to the bowl. Mix on low with the hook attachment until well blended. Add more flour (you'll most likely need to add another half cup (60 grams) as needed for the dough to come together. Continue kneading for 4 to 6 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. It should still be quite soft, but it should have some elasticity to it when you scrape it off the side of the bowl.
- Grease a large bowl with a little oil or spray with cooking spray. Add the dough, turn it to coat, cover with the plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to double in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. The book recommends 450F, but I often use my toaster oven and 425F does the job.
- Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
- Prepare the water bath. In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven set over high heat, combine 8 cups of water and baking soda. Bring to a boil. Note: You can also get away with using a very wide (6 or 7 inches) 4 quart saucepan with 4 cups of water and about 3 tablespoons baking soda.
- While waiting for the water to boil, place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 12 balls, for a total of 24 balls. Roll out each ball into a rope 4 to 5 inches long. Dust off any excess flour from the pretzels. If baking as buns, do the same thing but roll each half into 6 balls and shape them into oblongs for a total of 12.
- Put the pretzels in the water bath. Gently lower each pretzel into the boiling water, 2 or 3 at a time, and cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the pretzels with a large slotted spoon or spatula, gently shaking off any excess water, then place the pretzels on the baking sheets. Mix the egg yolk with a little water in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg yolk on top of the pretzels, then sprinkle with the pretzel or coarse salt.
- Bake the pretzels. Bake sticks for about 12 to 15 minutes and buns for about 18 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Cool slightly, then transfer the pretzels to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving.
- Make the honey mustard dip. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, honey, and mustard, and serve alongside the pretzels.
Notes
I made mine slightly larger and got 18 instead of 24.