Things Are Getting Twisted Around Here!

All the ingredients on hand....we are going to make some pretzels today!

I have had this recipe for Rye Pretzels for a LONG time.  I don't know why yeast baking scares me, but it does, I am very hesitant to work with it.  Yet, when I make a recipe involving yeast I am always pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.  So when I was cooped up at home this weekend I decided to take advantage of the time on my hands and make this recipe.  I gathered all the ingredients together, with some minor adjustments.  I used all rye flour and coconut sugar instead of the malt powder or sugar.

Mixing up the dough was easy.  I loaded it into the oven and with just the light on and saran wrap covering the top of the bowl, I waited 1 1/2 hours.  When I looked at it, it had not risen much at all but I was impatient so I went ahead, divided my dough, and started to form pretzels on my pastry mat and brought it over to the stove, where my water was starting to boil.

No one warned me that when you add the coconut sugar and baking soda to your boiling water it bubbles up over the saucepan.  Consider yourself warned. 

At first the pretzel sinks, but in a split second it begins to float, and before you know it, you need to turn it over (be careful, I had to use a couple of slotted spoons for this).  Sprinkled them with caraway seeds and salt....mmmmm....but FYI: the amount of salt you see on these pretzels is too much.  Just a little bit goes a long way, especially if you are dipping your pretzel in dijon mustard.  It was so delicious, that I ate four pretzels that afternoon.  My lesson for today?  Don't be afraid of a yeast bread recipe, you could be surprised by how it turns out!  Now excuse me, I have some eating to do...