'Cause you asked.

Grammar isn't my thing can you tell?

Anyway, yesterday I made some "Tracy Knock-off" pretzels - knock offs because I just can't ever seem to follow a recipe (control issues?) and I don't measure anything exactly (again, control issues?) and sometimes I see a recipe for something while I'm making something else and then they just sort of meld together (easily distracted - A.D.D.?). This recipe is a mix of the pretzel recipe off the Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour bag and a recipe for Herb Focaccia from the GE Breadmaker guide. I don't use the breadmaker anymore (now that I've got the handy dandy Kitchen Aid mixer) but I can never get rid of that guide - they have the best pizza dough recipe in there!

Here's the Recipe for my pretzels. Change it if you will - I won't be offended but I think I should put a clause in here that if you make them then you have to share them. Not with me necessarily (though that would be appreciated) but with a neighbour or a friend. Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups water (warm)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 1/3 cups of flour
2-3 teaspoons of dried rosemary (or any good herb - I try to cover my bases here and use an all purpose Italian herb mix)
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups of water
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon melted butter and some sea salt for later

Combine water, sugar and yeast - let sit until your yeast starts to work. In a different bowl, combine flour, salt, and herbs. Add your yeast concoction and olive oil to your dry ingredients and mix until combined - kneed when you get to the end until dough is smooth and elastic.

Cover and allow dough to rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour). Spray 2 cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces for large pretzels or 24 pieces for smaller pretzels. Roll into ropes and shape into pretzels. Place on racks, cover and allow to rise again for another 20 minutes.

Place oven rack at top position and heat to 400F. Combine 6 cups of water and baking soda in a shallow saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and slowly place pretzels into the water (one at a time for large ones or 3 at a time for smaller but be sure to keep the gentle boil - adding too many too fast will cause the temperature of the water to decrease and your dough to get all icky). Cook for 15-20 seconds per side. Remove with slotted spoon and return to cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush lightly with butter and return to oven for an additional 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

When they come out you can brush them with butter again but you really don't have to (I didn't and they still tasted pretty good). Serve these warm for the best effects and of course, with mustard!