Pretzels are my favorite snack food, which means that 17-21: Small Golden Pretzels were right up my alley. One of my favorite episodes of the Simpsons is based around pretzels. Making pretzels usually involves boiling the dough in baking soda water.
These golden pretzels are good as an afternoon snack. Saffron gives these pretzels the golden hue.
Simply Delicious is stretching their definition of the pretzels, I just say it’s “knot bread“. This card doesn’t even ask you to salt the pretzels and the salt is the best part.
The small jar in front is the saffron. Only a tiny bit is needed to get a lot of flavor.
Starting the dough is a pretty standard procedure: Put the yeast into a warm liquid to bloom.
To the yeast starter I added the melted butter.
The best method for adding the eggs is to beat them in a separate bowl first then add the scrambled egg mixture to the yeast starter bowl.
Finally, I added salt and saffron and stirred the mixture.
Two cups flour didn’t feel like enough. I added almost three cups of flour to get the dough into a stiffer consistency.
You can still see strands of saffron in the dough ball. I set this bowl aside for 30 minutes to rise.
Tying a proper pretzel knot isn’t simple. I’ve learned a couple of different methods since making this batch that I hope to try next time.
Finally, I applied the egg wash and a layer of chunky salt, which is what gives these pretzels the properties that make you thirsty.
Here’s a shot of one sheet pan. This made two pans total, approximately 24 pretzels.
Here’s a final shot of the pretzels resting on the cooling rack after I pulled them out of the oven. Jamie and I both enjoy salty snacks. These pretzels have a delicate saffron note to them, but they lack the crispy shell of a traditional pretzel.
GRADE: B+
