Mini Sesame Soft Pretzels

These little snacks are great for lunches, sliced in half and toasted, and as a side dish to be served warm with a healthy vegetable soup. Don’t be turned off because you have to make your own dough - it’s really, really quite simple and it’s the only way to avoid preservatives and artificial additives in your food. Be the master of what you put into your body, make it yourself!

I love this dough because it’s just so versatile. You can use it as pizza dough, dough for buns, dough for cinnamon rolls, and dough for soft pretzels! It’s just classic. I feel like everybody who makes their own bread and dough know about this classic recipe. It’s the easiest for a beginner, and the first recipe most people will try when they start making their own breads.

Above is the baking soda water boiling on the stove. Boil until the baking soda is dissolved and then let cook in the baking dish pictured below.

I set up my pretzel making station like an assembly line. FIrst I have the pretzels, then the baking soda water, then the prepared pan. It makes it easier to just move everything to the right one step at a time.

To fold the pretzels, cut the dough into 16 equal wedges. Roll each wedge out until it is about 12 inches long. One inch longer or shorter isn’t a big deal so don’t worry about being exact. Fold into a pretzel shape and set aside. When you have four pretzels, you can dunk them in the baking soda bath for 2 minutes. If they aren’t fully submerged make sure to flip them over halfway or spoon some liquid on top throughout the 2 minutes.

Place them on the baking sheet and be sure to sprinkle the sesame seeds on top while they’re still wet & sticky! Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and brush sesame oil on top.

They’re best fresh out of the oven and will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container on the counter. They also keep in the fridge for up to 10 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

*makes 16 pretzels

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

3 cups all purpose white flour

1 tsp salt

Baking Soda Bath:

4 tbsp baking soda

3 cups water

For Topping:

1 tbsp mixed sesame seeds (regular & black)

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 475 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets (or 1 large one) with parchment paper.

Combine the sugar, yeast and warm water in a large bowl. Let rest about 10 minutes, until the yeast is frothy.

Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring after each cup. Once the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to a floured workspace and knead the dough until smooth (3-5 minutes). Place dough back in the bowl to rest for 15-20 minutes. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth. *See tip at bottom

While the dough is resting prepare your baking soda bath. In a pot bring 3 cups water to a boil and add the 4 tbsp baking soda. Reduce to a simmer and stir. Continue to simmer until the baking soda has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into a 9x9 glass baking dish and let cool to a temperature that is about lukewarm.

Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 12 inch long rope. Fold into pretzel shape and set aside. When you have 4 pretzels, place them in the baking soda bath for 2 minutes. If they aren’t fully submerged make sure to flip them over halfway or spoon some liquid on top throughout the 2 minutes.

Place them on the prepared baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt.

Repeat these steps until all the pretzels are ready on the baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Immediately after they come out of the oven be sure to brush sesame oil on top. Enjoy!

They’re best fresh out of the oven and will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container on the counter. They also keep in the fridge for up to 10 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

*Tip: I let my dough rest in the bowl on top of the preheating oven and the heat helps it rise quicker