Soft Pretzels - Martha Mondays

It was my choice for Martha Mondays and I usually pick something that I have been wanting to make and see if Martha has a good recipe for it. With it being Super Bowl weekend this time I was looking for a snack, so I chose soft pretzels. I and went through Martha's recipes and this one seemed easy and a different way to make them. You boiled them first like you would if making bagels. I also thought by cutting in the butter like she had you do was a good idea to make them flaky.

Well this is why I don't bake!! Mine didn't turn out. They tasted good, but were not very pretty.

Soft Pretzels - Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1/4 ounce)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Vegetable oil, for baking sheets
3 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pretzel salt
Assorted mustards, for serving
Directions:
1.Mix yeast, coarse salt, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl, whisking until sugar dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2.Mix flour and cayenne in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3.Slowly pour yeast mixture over flour mixture, stirring to combine. Using your hands, gather dough together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic, and let rise for 30 minutes.
4.Cut dough into 12 pieces, and roll each into an 18-inch rope. Form a U shape with 1 rope, and twist ends together twice. Fold twisted portion backward along center of U shape to form a circle, then gently press ends of rope onto dough to seal. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and repeat. Let rise for 20 minutes.
5.Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add baking soda. Boil pretzels in batches until puffed and slightly shiny, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to wire racks to drain. Return to baking sheet, sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Rewarm in a 250-degree oven if desired, and serve with mustards.

Okay I think I got the rolling and the twist down pat...


...then bring it over to the top and gently press dough together


placed on an oiled baking sheet...now this is one area I was unsure of...I oiled my stoneware pan and I usually don't have to, but I followed the directions to a T...


let the rest and rise for 20 minutes...


...after boiling them for a minute or two per side is where it really didn't work or look pretty after that...it's like they deflated after I scooped them out of the water and set them on a wire rack to drain....then back on the oiled backing sheet.

The next part was also a fail...after baking for at the right temperature for the right amount of time....they stuck to the pan. I can't believe it!!! nothing sticks to my stoneware baking pans and I usually don't oil them and things don't stick!!! I even oiled them and it stuck! Go figure!


Here are my little flawed gems...the broken torn ones on the bottom. I made some plan...


...and made some with black and white sesame seeds, garlic and salt (I keep that blend in a jar on the counter and use it often)...you might call it an everything pretzel...only I forgot the poppy seeds. It even stuck to the pizza stone :(

Next time I will roll them into thinner strips so the pretzels won't be so puffy when the rise.

If you want to see a successful Martha Monday soft pretzel check out Brette's on her Martha and Me blog.
and be sure to check out Pru's pretzels and she's never even tried one before Perfecting Pru blog.