How to make soft pretzel sticks

One day whilst walking in the mall, I was approached by someone offering free samples of something I had never heard of until that moment.

They were fresh, soft and had a bread like texture. The only pretzels I had come across were the small hard, biscuit like that normally cup in packets and I assumed that’s what all pretzels were like. When I got back home I decided to search online for pretzels and I found a few different ones, some were hard pretzels and some soft. I eventually came up with a recipe after a few experiments and I have stuck to it. It is my go to recipe for each time I want to make pretzels.

I make these pretzel sticks when I cannot be bothered to make the authentic pretzel shape or when I just want a change. In this recipe I am going to show you how to make soft pretzel sticks.

Ingredients

• 250 grams plain flour
• 250 grams bread flour
• 350 ml lukewarm water
• 7 grams active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons light brown muscovado sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For dipping

• 120 ml warm water
• 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

Decorating

• 120 grams sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Method

• Pour the lukewarm water in a bowl, large enough to hold all the ingredients, sprinkle yeast and stir to dissolve
• Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve
• Add flours and mix with a wooden spoon until almost combined
• Knead dough with your hands whilst in the bowl until you form a rough ball
• Put dough onto a work top and knead with your hands until smooth
• Put the dough in a clean bowl and let it rise for at least 30 minutes
• Whilst it’s rising grease 3 baking trays, like the ones you would use to bake cookies on. If you don’t have three you can bake in batches, cleaning and re-greasing the tray after use
• When dough has risen prepare dipping water by putting the 1 cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl and mixing
• Divide the dough into pieces, about 40 grams each and roll into sticks
• Dip the unbaked sticks into the bicarbonate water mixture.
• Let them rise again for 40minutes
• 5 mins before they finish rising, preheat the oven to 230° Celsius/450° Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until golden brown
• When they are cool enough to handle brush with the melted butter and roll them into the cinnamon sugar mixture

Variations
Brushed with melted butter only
Brushed with melted butter and sprinkle some rock salt

Related Links
How to make soft cinnamon sugar pretzel balls

How to make soft cinnamon sugar pretzels

I hope you enjoyed my recipe on how to make soft pretzel sticks.