Pretzel Sticks #BreadBakers

Robin, of A Shaggy Dough Story, is hosting our Bread Bakers group this month with a theme of Pretzels.

I found this recipe for Pretzel Sticks by Grant Achatz in the December 2006 issue of Food & Wine.  I live in a small town in Michigan bordered by equally small towns.  The Achatz family hails from my neck of the woods.  They are famous for their quality homemade soups and pies.  Grant took the skills and knowledge that he learned from his elders and struck out for Chicago where he has opened restaurants and been named Rising Star Chef, Best Chef in the USA and has been inducted into the James Beard Hall of Fame.

I was thrilled to make one of his recipes to start off the New Year.  I modified it to only make 12 large pretzels and I used kosher salt instead of Maldon as it was available in my cupboard.

They were amazingly delicious.  Better than those soft pretzels that you get in the mall.  I served them up with some yellow mustard for dipping.  I had to force myself to stop going back for nibbles.  They were that good.

These chewy, salty sticks are perfect for snacking on and hearty enough, that if given to the kids when they come home from school famished, will stave off starvation until dinner time.

Pretzel Sticks

adapted from Food&Wine

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. water

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 T. vegetable oil

3 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. baking soda

1 egg beaten with 1 T. water

kosher salt

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with dough hook, dissolve sugar into 1 c. warm water (110*), sprinkle with the yeast and let stand about 5 minutes, until foamy.

Stir in the oil and 1 1/2 cups of the flour.  Gradually add another cup of flour until incorporated into the dough.  Add remaining half cup of flour, as needed, if dough is too sticky.  Knead on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until dough is silky.

Place into an oil lined bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough and place onto a floured counter.  Knead lightly and flatten the dough.  Cut into 12 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a 9" roll about 1/2" thick and place half an inch apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.  Set aside for half an hour until puffy.

Fill a 3 qt. skillet with 2 qts. of water and the baking soda.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Reduce heat to med high and parboil the pretzel sticks in batches for about 30 seconds, flipping once.  Remove to paper towel to drain.  Return the drained sticks to the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.  Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and bake in a preheated 450* oven for 10-13 minutes, until richly brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Print Recipe

More Perfect Pretzel Recipes

• Authentic German Pretzels from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Ballpark Pretzels from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Beer Pretzels from Passion Kneaded
• Buttery Pretzels from Ambrosia
• Cheddar Garlic Soft Pretzels from Palatable Pastime
• Cheese Jalapeño Stuffed Pretzel Rolls from Herbivore Cucina
• Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites from Cook's Hideout
• Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels from Hostess At Heart
• Double Soda Pretzels from Food Lust People Love
• German Pretzel Rolls from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Honey Mustard Snack Pretzels from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Pretzel Dogs from Sneha's Recipe
• Pretzel Sticks from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Saffron Pretzel Rolls from The Schizo Chef
• Soft Whole Wheat Pretzels from What Smells So Good?
• Sourdough Soft Pretzels from Baking Sense
• Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites from I camp in my kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.