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    Home » Ingredients » Bread

    February 19, 2019 American Recipes

    Sweet Pretzels

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    These Sweet Pretzels made with a brioche like dough. These pretzels are perfect for breakfast and so lovely topped with pearl sugar. A totally fun baking project and worth the effort to make your own dough. Impossible to eat just one!

    overhead image of sweet pretzels
     
    Pretzels! Yes, that is what I've had on my mind recently. To be more precise, these lovely sweet pretzels. Thinking about baking fluffy and soft sweet pretzels was a wonderful diversion and a way to wind down after all the holiday chaos.
     
    It is hard to believe another year has flown by and I have so much I want to share with all of you! You get one more cranberry recipe (I promise, it's a great one!).

    Sweet Pretzels Recipe

    Originally published January 6, 2015, updated on February 19, 2019

    I hoped to share more cookie recipes and something spectacular, like a croquembouche, but it just didn't happen! I did have every intention of having blog posts prepared and ready to go during the kids' holiday break. I thought this is the year I will be super organized. I will surprise everyone.  I will surprise myself.

    overhead image of pretzels with sugar on top

     

    Then the typical things happened as soon as it hit December 1st. My son got a little flu. I caught the same flu. I had a really crazy fall on my front porch and whacked my head. My head was OK, but my neck and shoulders were not doing that well for the week. I promised myself I would have every thing ready for Christmas!! But I ended up being OK and was very grateful I didn't injure myself worse than I did. I was even more grateful it wasn't the kids or anyone else that fell on my slippery front walkway. So, now to fix that walkway... I want to know how your holidays were? Did you get everything done in time or better yet, ahead of time? What are your holiday preparation secrets? I'm looking for hot tips for next year!! But most importantly, I can't wait to share with all of you these lovely sweet pretzels for my favorite baking challenge: #TwelveLoaves!!

     

    For this #TwelveLoaves challenge day, our hostess is Kim from The Ninja Baker, and she assigned us the theme of a "new year challenge". We were to bake a bread that was a symbol, metaphor, or celebration of a challenge we had personally going into 2015. I was thinking of which way to go with this baking theme, and thought I would tackle something I haven't shared yet: a pretzel!
     
    overhead image of pretzels with sugar topping
     
    Twelve Loaves New Year Challenge: January 2015 HTML #TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and run with the help of Heather of girlichef, which runs smoothly with the help of our bakers. Our host this month is Kim from NinjaBaker.com, and our theme is Happy New Year. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month's tempting selection of #TwelveLoaves Holiday Breads!
    • Ginger Brioche Loaf with a Lemony Drizzle from From My Sweet Heart
    • Japanese White Bread from NinjaBaker
    • La couronne des Rois from Ma che ti sei mangiato
    • Pretzel Buns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
    • Rosca de Reyes from girlichef
    • Rustic Baguettes from A Shaggy Dough Story
    • Soft Pretzels from Never Enough Thyme
    • Sweet Pretzels from Savoring Italy
    • Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Muffins from Rhubarb and Honey
    overhead image of balls of dough on wood surface
     

     

    Just as I began to roll out the ropes of dough, my baking assistant appeared and he needed some of my dough! My little guy was on a mission to make every sea creature that he knew. He shaped out a crab, a blow fish, an eel, a shark and a star fish!!

    overhead image of dough on wood surface

    I was completely distracted by his cuteness and by him wanting to take more portions of my dough, and didn't realize I was shaping the pretzels incorrectly.

    overhead image of dough on wood surface

    The dough was supposed to be tucked under and not placed on the pretzels above!! Sheesh, not the most perfect sweet pretzels. But I had the most perfect fun baking day with my cutie pie!!

    overhead image of pretzel dough on wood surface
     
    overhead image of pretzels on baking tray
     
    overhead image of pretzels on baking sheet
     

    The dough is the same sweet dough I use for many recipes. I always have the best results with this dough and tend to stick to it! The method of making the actual pretzel I found in an older issue of Bon Appetit. As I mentioned, don't forget to tuck the end under the pretzel, the way a pretzel is supposed to be baked. And I think for my next pretzel recipe, I would like to try a savory one!! I can't get enough of pretzels, sweet !

    Slightly updated from 1/15

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    Sweet Pretzels

    A sweet pretzel made with a brioche like dough. These pretzels are perfect for breakfast and so lovely topped with pearl sugar. A totally fun baking project and worth the effort to make your own dough. Impossible to eat just one!
    Prep Time2 hrs
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Pretzels
    Servings: 12 pretzels
    Author: Lora

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 1 1/2 ounce envelope active dry yeast
    • 1/4 cup warm water 100 to 110 degrees
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
    • 4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • egg wash 1 egg plus 1 Tablespoon of water whisked together in a small bowl

    Instructions

    • Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of the sugar; let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes). Beat in the remaining sugar, eggs and butter. Beat in cooled milk.
    • Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms.
    • Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.
    • Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
    • Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a 17"-long rope. Form rope into a U shape. Lift top of left end; fold over or under opposite side; press together gently about two-thirds down from the top of right side. Lift right end up, fold over, and press in or tuck under, forming a pretzel shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
    • Place 6 pretzels on one sheet and 6 on the other with 2 inches space between them.
    • Brush with egg wash and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let sweet pretzels rise for about 20-30 minutes.
    • While the pretzels are rising, heat the oven to 350F.
    • Brush on another coat of the egg wash. Sprinkle on the pearl sugar. Bake until pretzels are golden brown and cooked through, 15 minutes (every oven is different so make sure your pretzels aren't too brown. Mine took about 16 minutes). Rotate trays around about 1/2 way during baking time. Transfer sweet pretzels to a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
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    lora and gabby

    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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