I'm struggling with a bit of "writer's block" this afternoon.......we've been babysitting our 1 and 3 year-old grandsons for most of the day. We've been to the nearby Metro Farm, to the local fruit farm, enjoyed lunch together and now the little guy is asleep, but the older brother is happily playing in the computer/playroom as I work. There is a drama unfolding on the floor behind me - a plastic dragon is attacking a group of Fisher-Price people who were enjoying a lovely campfire. The FP folks have decided to launch a counter-attack and are trying to eat the dragon for dinner. It's not going well for them, though, as the dragon just visited my desk, smacked his lips and declared his victory. I express my sympathy for the poor FP people and then turn back to the keyboard. Sol breaks character for a moment and looks up at me with his big brown eyes- "Whatcha doin', Ninny?" (That's my "grandma name") . I explain that being on the computer is part of my job and that I am writing. "Write about dragons." Sol solemnly states and then turns back to complete the dramatic scene. So......thus, this little tale!
While I'm telling tales of dragons and "delicious things to eat", I'll share this AMAZING recipe for homemade soft pretzels - no dragons needed! The only thing you might have some difficulty finding is the Guinness.....and that's really not hard at all to find! I've made this recipe several times.....it is sooo tasty!
Guinness
Soft Pretzels!
Dough:
¾ Cup warm water
1 pkg/Tbsp. Red Star
Platinum Instant Yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 – 4 ½ Cup
unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
¾ Cup Guiness
Water bath:
1/3 Cup baking soda
8 Cups water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
Coarse salt
Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to
dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough
ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and
all ingredients are incorporated, adding flour as needed so the dough is not
sticky. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth”
dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.
Preheat oven to 450. Line 2 baking sheets with baking
parchment paper. Bring the eight cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add
baking soda GRADUALLY and dissolve. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the tablespoon
of water.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each section
out into a long rope (approx. 22-24”).
Form a “U” shape, then cross the ends over each other and twist once.
Bring the ends down to what was previously the base of the U. Press the ends in
to seal and complete the pretzel shape. Place on the baking sheet.
Carefully place the shaped pretzels (depending on the size
of the pot, I usually boil them 2-4 at a time) into the boiling water for 30 seconds on each
side. Using a pierced spatula, remove the pretzels from the water – drain on
paper towels briefly if necessary. Replace on lined baking sheet. Repeat until
all pretzels are completed. Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle
with coarse salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Visit http://www.wildyeastblog.com/yeastspotting/ for more delicious breads
Adapted from a recipe from www.bakedbyrachel.com
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