Recipe - Philadelphia Soft Pretzels

1 pack Dry yeast
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 cup Tepid water (110 degrees F)
2 cup Allpurpose flour
One half cup Gluten flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Baking soda
Cornmeal
Coarse salt

Date: 23 May 96 17:01:57 0500

From: Ilana_FlyerRVFK50@email.sps.mot.com

From _Real American Food_ by Jane and Michael Stern. These pretzels are
absolutely *wonderful* warm from the oven; poaching in a baking soda
solution gives then a wonderfully tangy outside.

NOTE: I used 1One half cups allpurpose flour, One half cup whole wheat flour and 2
tsp wheat gluten

Dissolve yeast and sugar in One fourth cup of the water. Combine flours, add
salt; stir in remaining water. When yeast mixture is foamy, add it to
flour and mix thoroughly. Turn out on floured board and let rest 23
minutes while you clean and oil bowl. Knead 10 minutes, until dough is
silky and resilient, adding more flour if necessary. Return to bowl, cover
with a double layer of plastic wrap; let rise 1 hour or until doubled in
volume.

Punch down dough. Cut into 8 pieces (or more, for smaller pretzels) then
roll each piece into a thin tube 1824 inches long. To form a pretzel,
grasp eeach end of the dough, forming a horseshoe with the curved part away
from you. Twist the ends around each other and press each firmly onto the
loop of dough beneath them. Let pretzels rest 10 minutes under a towel on
a lightly floured board. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Simmer a quart of water in a large skillet. Dissolve baking soda. Poach
pretzels two or three at a time, 30 seconds on each side. Remove pretzels,
pat dry, and place on baking sheet lightly dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle
pretzels with coarse salt.

Bake 1012 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Posted to MealMaster Recipes List, Digest #144