Sweet and savory Pretzels

To this series of treats, this one being the 2nd one, let me make a confession - I couldn't stop eating one after another knowing inside that its almost like committing a sin .....

So here I am with the recipe for all of you -

For the pretzel dough -

• Self raising flour - 3 cups
• Self raising wholemeal flour - 1 cup
• Active Yeast - 1 tablespoon
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1 spoonful
• Vegetable oil - 1 Tablespoon
• Warm water - 1 1/2 cup

For Baking Soda Mix -

• Hot Water - 1 1/2 cups
• Baking Soda 1/2 cup

For real professional flavours

• Butter - 1 cup melted
• Salt - crusher mill (for salted ones)

First, In water add a spoonful of sugar and then add active dried yeast in the warm water and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix self raising flour, wholemeal flour, vegetable oil, sugar and salt together. Now start kneading the dough with the warm water mixture prepared. Keep kneading till 5-6 minutes and then cover it with a lid or plastic film and leave it to raise double for an hour.

Now, divide the dough in equal parts,  dust the surface with flour . Start rolling them like a rope and give the rope a shape like above.

The most important part -  Prepare the baking soda mix by mixing the baking soda and hot water together. Take a much larger bowl as baking soda rises with a fizz when you mix it with hot water first.

 These pretzels have to be dipped in the baking soda mixture before putting into the baking tray.

Preheat the oven at 230 degrees and oil the surface of the baking tray.

For the salted pretzels -  while you dip them in baking soda mix. Keep in the baking tray and sprinkle the Kosher salt (I used my salt mill and that worked just fine)

Put them on the baking try for 7-8 minutes or till they turn golden brown in colour (not too brown though).

As you start taking them out, give a dip in the melted butter and now you can enjoy the salted ones.

Variation - 2

For vanilla sugar pretzels

Granulated sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tea spoon

Mix sugar and vanilla essence together well, may be give them a little grind (please do not powder them).

Now, its time for the unsalted baked buttery pretzels to take a bath in this mixture while they are hot. Enjoy these for a heavenly taste as a treat for family and friends.

(Easy variations to the flavours mentioned here are the cheesy salted pretzels, cinnamon sugar pretzels, sesame seeded salted pretzels etc.)

Lastly, would like to tell you that the next to put here on my list is - Donuts... yummmmmmm