Soft Pretzels

[Dee]

1 package active dry yeast
1/8 cup warm water (105 degrees)
1 1/3 cups warm water (+ a few tablespoons)
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups gf flour (I used this mix, for 5 cups = 2 ½ cup white rice flour, 1 cup tapioca starch flour, 1 cup potato starch, ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup brown rice flour.
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons xanthan gum



½ tseapsoon salt



Baking soda (several tablespoons. I used 8 cups of water = 1 full cup of baking soda)
Coarse Salt, to taste



Directions:

Preheat oven to 475.



Mix flour, gum, and salt together in a large bowl (if you use a flour mix that has gum and salt, no need to add it).



Dissolve the yeast in 1/8 cup warm water in the bottom of your mixing bowl. Stir in remaining warm water, brown sugar and flour. Beat until smooth. Knead until smooth and elastic. I needed to add about 3 TBS more water to get to a good consistency for rolling. Use hands to roll out dough into "snakes". Twist into traditional pretzel shape or braid.



Fill a saucepan with water (I used a deep fry pan, so I could do a few at time). Pour in baking soda (2 tablespoons to each cup of water in saucepan) and bring to a boil. Hint: start the water boiling as you begin shaping the dough.



Line baking sheets with parchment paper, spray with oil, and put some salt on.



Place twisted pretzel dough in water for 15 seconds until dough is golden or yellow in color. Don’t over do the boil…I found they got overly chewy for those I boiled longer, but I needed about 30 seconds for each.



Remove pretzel from boiling water and place on a salted cookie sheet. Salt top of pretzel too.

Place cookie sheet with pretzels in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until pretzels are golden brown…. They didn’t need any more that 10 mins.



Note: Fat pretzels are better. These do not rise in the oven at all, so the thickenss you make them is the thickness that will stay. You will get anywhere from 12-15 depending on how big you make them.