Soft Pretzels ...

Davis pointed out that it looked like a little face smiling... :)

If you got married around the Turn of the Millennium you have a Bread Maker [Or 2 :)].  Or you had one [but you have already gotten rid of it because you never used it].  I still use mine.  I love it mainly for making dough of all sorts & last week I tried out the recipe for making soft pretzel dough.  I thought they'd be fun to make with the boys, but it turned out I had to do most of the work since it involved a pot of boiling water [I didn't know that until I got to that part of the recipe].  But they were still fun to make & every step of the long & involved process is just part of what makes them taste ... PERFECT.  [Recipe from the Oster Bread Maker booklet that came with the machine]

DOUGH:
1 cup plus 2 Tbl water
1 Tbl vegetable oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1Tbl sugar
2 1/2 tsp regular active dry / bread machine / quick-acting active dry yeast [pick one]

TOPPING:
3 Tbl salt
1 Tbl water
1 egg white
Coarse salt or sesame seed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all dough ingredients in bread pan in the order listed.  Select dough cycle & press start.
2. [After dough is done] Cut dough into 15 pieces; cover with towel to prevent drying.  Roll each piece into 15-inch rope.  Twist each rope into pretzel shape.  Cover; let rise in warm place 20-25 minutes or until almost double.
3. Heat oven to 375.  Generously grease cookie sheet.  Dissolve 3 Tbl salt in 2 quarts boiling water.  Lower 3 or 4 pretzels at a time into boiling water, top sides down.  Boil 2 minutes, turning once.  Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels; let stand a few seconds, then place 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheet.
4. Beat 1 Tbl water & the egg white; brush over pretzels.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.  Bake 20-24 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove from cookie sheet.  Cool on wire rack.

Next time I'll get more creative with the toppings ... like garlic & rosemary [for me] or jalapeño & cheddar [for Kyle].  :)  Mmm Mmm...