The Return of Snack-Time: Homemade Pretzels

I worry that snack-time for adults is seriously underrated.

Why shouldn't we be allowed to have a delicious snack in the afternoon, reward ourselves for having made it that far in the day? 

But, look, I don't need to convince you of this: these pretzels will. 

Some of my fondest memories come from sitting in the English Garden in Munich with some very dear friends, munching on Bavarian pretzels that are roughly the size of my torso. 

Seriously, you can carry them to your table by wearing them on your shoulder like a purse.  But a delicious, edible one.

Unlike many a pretzel you can find at the mall, Bavarian pretzels are not sweet, not soft, and not drenched in butter.  They are real pretzels: salty, crisp on the outside , soft on the inside, begging to be paired with some coarse grain mustard, and perfect to wash down with a good Weissbier. 

Of course, these aren't Bavarian pretzels (I hear Munich's water is 'special'), but they have the 'spirit' of those pretzels, of a sunny afternoon in the English garden, watching the swans and ducks float by, hearing traditional German music floating in the breeze, maybe catching a glimpse of Lederhosen, lingering with friends.  And, all this is just a snack-time away.

And, you will not believe how easy these are to make.  Although, they do have to be left to sit overnight.  But, can also sit for 4 days, so it gives you some flexibility.

You start by stirring together your flour, salt, and brown sugar (just a touch, mind you)
 
Dissolve the yeast in some water.

Mix the yeast/water and melted butter in with the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon and stir until it forms a ball.

Then stir for 2 more minutes.  Let rest 5.  And stir for 3 more minutes.  

Plop it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute more (and that's it for the kneading!).  Form it into a ball and throw it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.

When you are ready for a snack, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  And, dissolve some baking soda in warm water.  This is key because it is what ensures that the pretzels get a nice hard crust on the outside.  In the old days, people would use food grade LYE to make pretzels.  Seriously.  But, since that seems hard to come by and not something I really want to think about, you use this mixture instead.

Take the dough out and roll it into 2 ounce balls for small pretzels or 3 ounce balls for large ones.  Roll the pretzels out so they are 17 inches.

Warning: the gluten may be pretty tough when you do this and your pretzels are liable to shrink after you have rolled them.  Don't worry, just roll them out, give the gluten time to rest, roll again, and so forth.  I must admit, I haven't fully mastered this part, but next time, I think I will roll them out and let them rest for quite a few minutes so the gluten relaxes and they come up to temperature.

Then, you shape the pretzels: fold the ends over each other.

Next cross fold the ends of the ends over each other.

A finally, take that knot and bring it up to the top.  So it, you know, looks like a pretzel.
 
[a less than glamorous earlier attempt]

Sprinkle with coarse salt (I used fleur de sel and loved it!).
 
Pop in the oven for 8 minutes.  Rotate, then bake 8-10 minutes more.
 
And, look, if your pretzels shrunk back into themselves so they look more like pretzel knots than pretzels,

they are still going to taste fantastic!  And it gives them, er, character. 

And, a reason to tackle them again to perfect the rolling out process.

Let the pretzels cool slightly.
 
Serve with mustard (my favorite is a mix of lots of coarse grain, just a little Dijon to hold it together, and a dash of honey for good measure).

Welcome back, snack-time!  

Soft Pretzels (Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day)
Makes 12-17

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups (20 oz/567g) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 tsp (.4 oz/11g) salt, or 2 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons (.75oz/21g) brown sugar
1 tsp (.11oz/3g) instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (12oz/340g) lukewarm water (about 95 degrees F)
2 Tablespoons (1oz/28.5g) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
8 tsp (2oz/57g) baking soda, for dipping
2 cups (16oz/454g) warm water (about 100 degrees F)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.  In a different bowl, combine the water and yeast, let sit for about 1 minute.  Next, add the water/yeast mixture and the oil into the bowl with the flour, salt, and sugar.

Use a wooden spoon and stir everything together.  It should not take longer than a minute and you should be left with a coarse ball.  Now continue mixing by hand for about 2 minutes and subsequently let the dough rest for 5 minutes.  Again mix by hand for 3 minutes, adjusting the water or flour as needed to form a smooth, lightly tacky ball.  On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for one minute, form a ball, and place it in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.

On the day you plan to bake, combine the baking soda and warm water in a bowl.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Right after taking the dough out of the refrigerator roll 2oz (56.5g) pieces into 17 inch ropes for smaller pretzels and 3-oz (85g) for larger pretzels.  If the roll shrinks back, just repeat the process.*  Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment and mist with spray oil.  Form the dough into pretzels (see above): first, cross the ends over each other, then cross the bottom of those ends over each other, then bring that knot to the middle of the top.  It should now look like a pretzel.  Dip in the baking soda/water solution.  Place them on the pan and sprinkle lightly with salt (or whatever topping you like).  Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and back another 8-10 minutes.  Let the pretzels cool slightly on a wire rack.

*They will shrink back, I think.  So, let them have a rest (say 5-10 minutes) after you first roll them out and try it again.  I found you can really tell if they will shrink when you shape them into pretzel form.  So, pay attention there, and if they shrink, just stretch them out again and give them a rest.

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut No-Knead Bread

How in the world it has taken me this long to try this recipe out of Jim Lahey's My Bread is both a sin and a tragedy.
Thank goodness for redemption!

This bread is as fantastic as it looks. Unlike a lot of cinnamon-raisin breads, this one has no sugar, so it isn't sweet at all. Making it the perfect accompaniment for some jam. And there is just this hint of spice, from a pinch of black pepper, that is surprisingly perfect. It really elevates it.
And, of course, it is no-knead... so it is so easy to make. So, there is no excuse not to treat yourself with this bread.

As ever, start with the dry ingredients. This time, with flour, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, salt, a bit more yeast than the regular no-knead, and just a pinch of black pepper.
Add in the water. Mix it up.
Let it rise for 12-18 hours, until it has doubled in size.
Pour it out on a floured surface. Fold over the ends, spring it into something approximately something round. Flip it over, seam side down on a tea-towel dusted with flour or wheat bran.
Let that rise for 1-2 hours.
Then, plop it into your pre-heated Dutch oven. Bake it for 30 minutes with the lid on, and 15 with it off. And, I'm telling you, your apartment is going to smell delicious.

Then... you have to wait. Which is hard, but really is necessary (I did an experiment). And, then... and, then... slice into it.
Really, you cannot underestimate the pleasure you will get out of this loaf. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (Pan co'Santi) (from My Bread by Jim Lahey)
Ingredients:
3 cups (400 g) bread flour
1/2 cup (85 grams) raisins
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts
1 1/4 tsp (8 grams) table salt
3/4 tsp (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 grams) instant or active dry yeast
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (350 grams) cool (55-65 degree F) water
wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, raisins, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, yeast, and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. If it's not really sticky to the touch, mix in another tablespoon or two of water. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or a spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 F and place the covered 4 1/2-5 1/2 quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.*

Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue back until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more.** Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

*Lahey has you put the rack in the lower third of the oven, but that always burns the bottom of my. So I put my rack in the middle of the oven.
**Mine is always done in the 15 minute range.

Pappa al Pomodoro

The fall is in full swing here in southern California: temperatures are dipping all the way down into the 60s. The 60s!
In other words... it is time for soup!

And, I must say, I started the soup season with a bang: this Pappa al Pomodoro from the Oliver is like comfort in a bowl. I literally had to hold myself back from eating all of it in one sitting.

Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional tomato-bread soup from Tuscany. Instead of using cream to thicken it, you use day-old bread. This results in a lovely, thick consistency, which you want in the fall; but, you don't have to add cream, which is always a plus for everyday/non-fancy occasion soups.

As ever, the Oliver sticks with basic ingredients: tomatoes, basil, garlic, bread, and water, and makes it magical. The key to the magic this time is roasting some cherry tomatoes with basil and garlic beforehand, and then adding them to the soup.
This gives the soup such depth and really intensifies the tomato-basil flavor.

So, start by pricking some cherry tomatoes.
Then toss them with some basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast them until the skins start popping, about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, get some more garlic sauteing in your Dutch oven, with the basil stems, and some olive oil. Who knew you could use basil stems?
Add in a can of whole plum tomatoes.
Then add some water, and bring that to a simmer.
Now, time for the thickener! I used a loaf of Pain Rustique from Trader Joe's, which I had let sit out for 2 days. Tear it into pieces. And, enjoy it.
Time to add the bread to the soup.
Also add in a bunch of basil. And add some salt and pepper, to taste.
Let that all yum up over low heat for about 10 minutes. And then...

Time for those roasted tomatoes!
Just look at how gorgeous this is. You know it is going to be good.

At this point, you just need to adjust the water level to your taste. You want it to be thick, but still silky. I added about 1/2 cup more. But, really just add a bit and taste, until you are satisfied.
Remove it from the heat. Ladle it into your bowl and add some Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil.

Don't you just adore the fall?

Pappa al Pomodoro (from Jamie's Italy)
Ingredients:
1 lb ripe cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stems finely chopped
the best extra virgin olive oil you can find
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes
about 1 lb or 2 large handfuls of stale good-quality bread

Directions:
Prick the cherry tomatoes and toss them on a baking sheet with one sliced clove of garlic and a quarter of the basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook them in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are bursting out of their skins.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the remaining garlic and basil stems. Stir around and gently fry for a minute, until softened. Add your canned tomatoes, then fill the can with water and add that. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Tear the bread up into thumb-sized pieces and add them to the pan. Mix well and season to taste. Tear in the basil leaves and let the soup sit on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, basil, garlic, and juices into the pan.

Give the soup a good stir. You're looking to achieve a thick, silky, porridgy texture, so feel free to adjust it with a little water. Then remove it from the heat and add 6 or 7 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Divide between bowls and served with a little extra basil.

Serves 4

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (aka my first kneaded bread)

Here's the thing: making your own bread makes you feel good.

The way it smells feels good. The way it looks feels good. The way it tastes feels good. I'm telling you, there are few better pick me ups than making your own bread. Not to mention, kneading turns out to be one fabulous way to relieve stress: yet another way bread makes you feel good.

Now, I have been making loaf after loaf of delicious no-knead bread, since my wonderful co-bicoastal chef introduced it into (i.e. changed) my life. But, I decided it was time to branch out. Armed with The Bread Baker's Apprentice, I was ready to be brave and try a new bread, you know the kind that you knead. The book magically opened to the page for Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread, and I knew it was meant to be.
This bread is to die for. Not to sweet, packed full of goodies: it is the perfect bread for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It is good with preserves, cream cheese, butter, nutella, or peanut butter (yes, I have tried all these variations). And it is good just by its lonesome. Couple its deliciousness with the fact that it is easy to make: you have a perfect entree into the world of kneaded bread.

This is how I made it. First things first with bread baking: mis en place (everything in place)
Next, get out your scale, and measure things by weight. It is much more precise and guarantees better results. (If you don't have a scale: buy one! They are worth it.)
Once you have all your ingredients ready, get your dry ingredients into a bowl. Careful not to let your salt and yeast touch immediately (or else some of the punch will be taken out of the yeast). Then add in your wet ingredients. Stir it with a spoon, until it comes together and forms a ball.
Now: time to knead! Get the dough on a floured surface (the silpat was great for this).
Then, you want to knead for about 10 minutes (although, if you don't have your kneading muscles yet (like me), it might take you more like 14 minutes (and, if you break a sweat, you are not alone))
With two or so minutes left, time to start adding in the raisins and walnuts. Do a little bit at a time to make sure everything is well distributed.
You know you are done with it passes the windowpane test: if when you gently stretch a small piece of dough and hold it up to a light source, you can see light through the dough, without the dough tearing, then you are done. You also want it to reach 77-81 degrees.
Now, plop your dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise for about 2 hours, until it is doubled in size.
Look at how huge it gets by the time you are done with the first rise!
Next, you want to divide and shape your dough. I divided the dough in half, and weighed it to make sure the two pieces were equal.
To shape the dough, flatten the dough into a 5 by 6-8 inch rectangle. Starting from the short side, roll it up, until you have a 8-9 inch rectangle. Rock it so it is even.
Get the two loaves in two lightly greased loaf pans.
Let them rise for the second time in the loaf pans for 60-90 minutes, until they just crest the pan.
Time to pop them in the oven. Let them bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans (for even baking), then bake for 20-30 minutes more. You know they are done when they are deeply golden on top, the internal temperature is 190 degrees, and your apartment smells like heaven.
Now is the toughest part of all: wait two agonizing, painful, awful hours, for the dough to completely cool (if you cheat, and only let it rest for one hour, the world will not fall apart).

Slice into that delicious bread you made and enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread (from The Bread Baker's Apprentice)
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread flour
4 teaspoons (.66 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons (.31 ounce) salt
2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (.16 ounce) ground cinnamon
1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) shortening, melted or at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) raisins, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts

Directions:
Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk, and water. Stir together with a large spoon until the ingredients come together and form a ball. Adjust with flour or water if the dough is too stick or too dry and stiff.

Sprinkle flour on a counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed with a dough hook). The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky. Add flour as you knead, if necessary, to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes* (or by machine for 6-8 minutes). Sprinkle in raisins and walnuts during the final 2 minutes to distribute them evenly. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77-81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form them into loaves. To do this, flatten the measure piece of dough with your hand, holding in the edges to make an even-sided rectangle about 5 inches wide and 6-8 inches long. Working from the short side of the dough, roll up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen surface tension. The loaf will spread out as you roll it up, eventually extending to a full 8-9 inches. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Rock the loaf to even it out; do not taper the ends. Keep the surface tension even across the top. Place each loaf in a slightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch pan. The ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Mist the tops with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lips of the pans and is nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the loaf pans on a sheet pan, making sure they are not touching each other.

Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished bread should register 190 degrees F in the center and be golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

Immediately remove the breads from their pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before slicing or serving.

*If it takes you 14 minutes, don't feel bad. Just think of it as an extra work-out.