Hard Pretzels for Hard Times

https://foodomania.com/hard-pretzels/
by Kavitha Ramaswamy
Hard Pretzels
Author: Kavitha
Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 3 hours 40 mins
Serves: 20-25 mini Pretzels or Pretzel Sticks
Ingredients

1/3 cup Warm Water
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Instant Yeast * (Note 1)
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 teaspoon Salt
For Baking Soda Bath
2 cups Water
2* Tablespoon Baking Soda (original recipe had 1 TBS, but 2 is correct)

Others
Melted Butter or Egg Wash (for brushing on the Pretzels)
Rock Salt or Brown Sugar or Granulated Sugar (for sprinkling on the Pretzels)

Note 1
Or use 3/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast. When adding yeast to warm water, wait for 3-4 minutes for it to bubble up before adding to flour

Instructions

To warm water add sugar and yeast and let it rest for 2 minutes. (If using active dry yeast, make sure the mixture bubbles)
Mix together flour, salt.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour
Knead to a smooth & elastic dough
Place in an oiled bowl and let it rise for 1-2 hours or until the dough doubles in volume.
Punch it down and roll it out to a log. Cut equal sized small pieces (pillows) of dough.
Roll out each piece of dough to a thin, long rope.
Take one end of the rope and bring it to the center. Take the other end of the rope and bring it across the first end. Press the ends tightly on the dough rope to seal them.
Alternatively, just roll out a long rope and cut into equally sized sticks.
Place all the pretzels on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F.
Bring a pot of water to boil and dissolve some baking soda in it.
Take each piece of pretzels on a slotted spoon. Gently place it into the hot water and hold till it drops into the water. Let it boil for 10-20 seconds or until it starts to float. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Place each “cooked” Pretzel back to the same baking sheet.
Brush each pretzel with melted butter or egg wash and sprinkle some brown sugar or Rock Salt on it.
Bake in a preheated oven 180 C/ 350 F for 40 minutes or until the pretzels are hard and crunchy.

(Bake for 30 minutes for a softer, chewier version of the Hard Pretzels)
Let it cool for a bit and remove the pretzels. Eat warm or cold with any dipping of your choice.