Pretzel Rolls

     Earlier this week, Arnauld sent me an email about the lunch of the day at his cafeteria- roast beef sandwiches on pretzel rolls.  When I first started reading the email, I thought he was going to ask me if I wanted him to bring me one home and I was thinking to myself, "since when do I eat roast beef?"  But as I read more, I found out that he had never heard of a pretzel roll before and he had found a recipe for us to try on the weekend.   I've never actually had a pretzel roll myself, but my friend Heather had suggested them as a good addition for the sweet potato burgers I made a while back. The recipe Arnauld sent was a great surprise since Arnauld doesn't often give suggestions and I like a little help in the idea department.  The blog that the recipe came from, Stresscake, was also amazing.  The pictures were so clear, the dishes were all unique and looked delicious.  A new source for inspiration!
     So this morning we stopped at the grocery store to buy some yeast, the only ingredient we were missing.  While Arnauld mowed the lawn and got stung by at least two bees, I baked pretzel rolls in the 90+ degree weather at nearly 10 months pregnant.  Needless to say, I needed a shower after this adventure.

Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water (I just used hot tap water)
1 tbsp active dry yeast (1 package) – not quick rise yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Poaching and Glazing
1/4 cup baking soda
large saucepan of water
1 egg, lightly beaten
pretzel salt (or coarse Kosher salt)

Method
1. Add yeast and warm water to your mixing bowl.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes and become frothy.  Then add the sugar, salt, flour, and butter.  Mix using a stand mixer and the hook attachment.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl.  Cover with a towel and allow to sit and rise for an hour.
3. Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough, using a pizza cutter, into 15-18 pieces.
4. Create dough balls by pulling up the sides of the dough and pinching.  Repeat this process until you have formed a round ball.  Place the balls on parchment lined baking sheets, one inch apart.  Cover the rolls with a thin towel and allow to sit and rise for 30 minutes.
5. Next, preheat the over to 425 degrees.  Arrange the oven racks on the lowest and middle settings.
6. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a simmer.
7. Drop a few of the rolls into the water at a time for poaching, pinched side down.  After 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to flip the rolls over.  After 30 seconds, remove the rolls and return to baking sheets.
8. After all of the rolls have been poached, use a basting brush to completely coat the rolls with a layer of egg.  Then top each roll off with a pinch of salt.
9. Place trays in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Halfway through baking, rotate and swap the trays for even baking.
10. Remove rolls from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Rolls can be tightly wrapped and frozen.

We made our rolls into sandwiches for dinner.

The Taste Test

     I was definitely a little nervous about making these rolls.  After first reading the steps, I was a bit intimidated, especially by the poaching.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may recall my first attempt at poaching eggs... But everything went a lot smoother than anticipated and the end result was chewy and amazing-just like a real pretzel.

Otis, all groomed and ready for his sister to arrive, hence the pink collar...

Moose is also ready.