Okay, so today I wanted to try making pretzel sticks at home. I saw some folks doing it online, and I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” I mean, who doesn’t love a good pretzel stick, right? So, I gathered all the stuff I needed.
Getting Started
First things first, I got all the ingredients together. I grabbed some all-purpose flour, cause that’s the base, you know? Then, I got some sugar, a bit of salt, and active dry yeast. Oh, and I needed some warm water to wake up that yeast. Also, I got some baking soda for later, and some coarse salt for sprinkling on top.
Mixing It Up
I started by mixing the warm water with the yeast and a little bit of sugar. I let that sit for about 5 minutes until it got all foamy. That’s how you know the yeast is alive and kicking. Then, in a big bowl, I mixed the flour and salt. After that, I poured in the yeast mixture and stirred it all together. It was a bit sticky at first, but I kept kneading it on a floured surface. I kneaded it for like, 5 or 6 minutes until it was nice and smooth.
Letting It Rise
Once the dough was ready, I put it in a lightly oiled bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place. I think I let it sit for about an hour. It doubled in size, which was pretty cool to see. While waiting, I messed around with my phone for like, an hour. It was pretty slow.
Shaping and Boiling
After the dough had risen, I punched it down and divided it into smaller pieces. I rolled each piece into a long rope and then cut them into stick shapes. They weren’t perfect, but hey, I’m not a pro. Then came the fun part. I brought a big pot of water to a boil and added some baking soda. I dropped a few pretzel sticks into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then took them out with a slotted spoon.
Baking Time
I placed the boiled pretzel sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Before putting them in the oven, I sprinkled some coarse salt on top. I baked them at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. They turned out golden brown and smelled amazing.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, it was way easier than I thought it would be. The pretzel sticks were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They tasted pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. I think next time, I’ll try making some different shapes, maybe even some twists. Yeah, this was a fun little project. Definitely recommend giving it a try!
- Flour: Just regular all-purpose, nothing fancy.
- Sugar: Not too much, just a bit for the yeast.
- Salt: Regular table salt and some coarse salt for topping.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast, the kind you gotta activate.
- Warm water: To wake up the yeast and mix the dough.
- Baking soda: For the water bath, gives it that pretzel flavor.
So yeah, that’s my pretzel stick adventure. It was a good time, and now I have a bunch of snacks to munch on. Win-win!
