Pretzels, Beer, and Football

I miss the days when my stomach could handle all the pretzels and beer it wanted.  Now, with Crohn's disease I need to be a little more careful.  Usually, I eat Glutino or Utz gluten free pretzels for a snack.  They are super crunchy, which I like, but also super loud, which no one else likes ha.  But, my boyfriend LOVES soft, gluten filled pretzels!  He especially likes them with beer and football... who doesn't?!  I started making him home-made pretzels last year.  He liked them so much he learned the recipe and now makes them all the time.  Last weekend we made homemade pretzels.  I tried a gluten free pretzel recipe that turned out HORRIBLE, so I will need to find or create a better one before I share it on this blog.

Here is the recipe! It is a modified version of Alton Brown's recipe. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe-1948242)  

Soft Pretzel Nuggets

Ingredients 

*makes 8 large pretzels or ~40 nuggets

Dough

1. 1 1/2 cup warm water (one time Mike used scalding hot water and the yeast died.... his nuggets turned out like dense logs... tasty but you needed a HUGE glass of water after it ha!)
2. 1 tbsp sugar
3. 2 tsp salt
4. 1 package active dry yeast.  If you use instant yeast or rapid rise yeast, you do not need to proof the yeast in water.  You can just throw it in with the rest of the ingredients.
5. 4 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
6. 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted  
7. Olive oil for pan

Topping

1. 10 cups water
2. 2/3 cup baking soda
3. 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp of water
4. Sea salt

Directions

1. If using Active yeast, combine warm water, sugar and salt in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top.  Let it sit until it starts to bubbl on top.  About 5 minutes.  
2. If using Instant yeast,  just place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat until well-combined.
3. We only have a hand mixer, so we mix the ingredients until well combined and then knead by hand for about 5 minutes. 
• What's kneading??  The way I explain it is you flatten the dough to about 1-2 inches thick, then fold it in half and then half again and then flatten back to 1-2 inches, over and over.  
• Why do you have to knead?  Kneading is required to line up proteins and form a gluten matrix and makes the bread chewy. (hence why most gluten free things are crunchy or mealy) 
4. Grease a bowl with olive oil and lay dough inside.  Then, flip dough over so that both sides are greased.  Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm area.  We put it over the dryer in our laundry room.  Let sit for 1 hour.
5. Punch dough down. 
6. Cut dough into 8 wedges.
7. Role each wedge out to about 1 foot long and cut into 5-6 nuggets.
8. Place on parchment covered pan and let rise for another 5 minutes.
9. Heat 10 cups of water with baking soda until boiling.
10. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
11. Place the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a spatula or slotted spoon and place back on pan.
12. Mix egg yolk and water and brush on top of nuggets.
13. Finish with sea salt on top.
14. Bake 12- 14 minutes.
15. Open a beer and enjoy the game :)