Sunday, January 25, 2009

Twisted

I've always wanted to make homemade soft pretzels.

Also, I have recently realized the need to try some "food storage" recipes so we can use and rotate our food storage and not be shocked and disgusted when we finally have to eat from it.

We have a spiffy food storage cookbook. It tells how to make all kinds of things like cheese and saltines crackers and charcoal briquettes. But for some reason I didn't think my family was ready for a meal like "Basic Boston-Baked Bulgur. (OK, it's me...I wasn't ready for Basic Boston-Baked Bulgur.)

Then I saw the recipe for soft pretzels and this afternoon I was able to kill two birds with one wheat grinder!

Yes, that is right. First I ground up whole wheat and used it to make the dough. The dough was about 50% whole wheat and 50% AP white.

The dough went through several risings, then I got to roll out the dough, cut strips and twist them into pretzel shapes and let them rise again.

After another 40 minutes, I had to submerge them in salted boiling water for about 2 seconds each, place them on the baking sheets, brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

This whole process took me all afternoon. I will probably not be trying it again.

The pretzels were really good, but the effort required to produce them was enough so that dinner was a pretzel with cup of milk, a little fresh pineapple and vanilla ice cream.

Still, I made pretzels! And now the boys are playing "Pretzel man" and threatening each other with "The Pretzel of Death."

I love Sundays.

7 comments:

Our Family said...

I love reading your blog, Afton! Who eats basic boston-baked bulgar anyway? We made homemade doughnuts a couple of Sundays ago (no wheat flour involved, though) and we all came to the conclusion that scones are just as good but without all the work!

Samurai Mom said...

We made pretzels one too....Bulgar is actually very tasty.
I took a nap this afternoon :P

Erika said...

I've gotten lazy on Sunday afternoons. Especially with no hubby all day, by the time we get home from church I just want to veg. I either do something in the crock pot, make sandwiches, or make waffles. Yesterday our dinner consisted of Tuna sandwiches with sprouts (our fav) and lime jello with pears in it. I'm lazy I know, but making a big meal on Sunday's can be wayyyyy too much work and highly over rated. I like the pretzel idea, and you reminded me that I really need to look into more food storage recipes.

I-Shüan said...

I've always wanted to make something where you have to dip it in boiling water for 2 seconds as part of the cooking process.

Did they taste like Super Pretzels?

It sounds like the work was worth it with the new game ideas for the boys!

Senia said...

Wow! Those look and sound AMAZING!

Tara said...

First, what IS basic boston-baked bulgar? I've never heard of it. Is that bad of me? What am I missing?
And second, two Sundays ago, Dave decided to make cinnamon rolls for an "afternoon" snack. Note, we get out of church at 2pm. So, we all had a first cinnamon roll for a "snack", and then 10 minutes later dinner was a second cinnamon roll with a glass of milk.

Debbie said...

MMMMMM! I love big soft pretzels!