SWEET AND SALTY PRETZELS

 When I was seventeen I was given the opportunity to go to LA and San Fransisco on a school trip. It was one of the best experiences of my life and ever since I have loved all American foods. In comparison to America, Britain is so boring. Whilst there I had my first ever pretzel, it was amazing and I have wanted to make them since. So today I did it, and it was the best decision I have ever made.

Takes up to 3 to 4 hours.

INGREDIENTS 

SWEET PRETZELS (Makes 16)
350g Strong white flour
150g plain flour
2 tbsp casting sugar
1 sachet of yeast
1tsp salt
1tbsp vegetable oil
melted butter
1 egg
2tsp cinnamon
50g casting sugar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

SALTY PRETZELS (Makes16)

350g Strong white flour
150g plain flour
2 tbsp casting sugar
1 sachet of yeast
1tsp salt
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
salt flakes 
1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda

METHOD

I decided to make half salty and half sweet, so just follow the recipe up you are about to stick them in the oven and decide if you want salt or not.

1. Sift together your strong white flour, plain flour, casting sugar and salt. Make sure it is mixed together.

2. Add your yeast to 300ml of warm water and leave for 10 minutes, then add the oil.

 3. Pour the liquid into your flour mixture and mix together until it forms a dough.

 4. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes until is is elastic and soft.

 5. Place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm, leave for 2 hours until doubled in size. Keep in a warm place such as a cupboard.

 6. It should look like this.

 7. Knock the air out of the dough by kneading for a few seconds. Then cut into 16 pieces. Now this is where it gets complicated. Roll the dough using your hand until it is long enough to turn into a pretzel. If it doesn't want to stretch swing it around like a skipping rope. Then grab each end and cross it over on itself the back around place on the bottom of the pretzel to give it the pretzel shape.

 8. It is pretty complicated as you can see from mine but just keep going and by the end you will have perfected it. Cover your pretzels with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes so that they puff up.

 9. Remove and brush with bicarbonate of soda in some water. This makes them brown and chewy.

 10. Add the salt if you are making salty pretzels if not leave and stick in the oven on gas mark 6 (400F/200C) for 15 minutes.

 11. After 15 minutes remove and brush with egg. This makes them lovely and shinny. Now stick back in the oven for 5 minutes until brown.

 12. They should look like this.

13. For the sweet pretzels mix together the cinammon and casting sugar together on a plate.

14. Brush the melted butter on your pretzels and dip in the sugar mix until covered.

15. There you have it super yummy pretzels!! So soft and tasty, they take a while but they are so worth it. Give it a go and let me know what you think. Enjoy!