Category Archives: Bread and Pasta

Arugula and Blue Cheese Pasta

August 29, 2021 Sam

One of the simplest meals I’ve ever made. And beyond its simplicity, it’s so delicious and decadent that I can’t believe it’s just a few ingredients.

Note: Buy the best blue cheese you can, and hopefully one you know you like. My favorite (by far) is Point Reyes Original Blue.

Print Recipe

Arugula and Blue Cheese Pasta

Simplicity can lead to fantastic results

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California, Italian

Keyword: Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 976kcal

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter
8 oz blue cheese
6 oz arugula washed and dried
1 lb farfalle pasta
½ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

First, start a large stock pot of water in high and bring to a boil. Do not add salt.
While that comes to a boil, melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. This will take several minutes, which you can use to crumble the blue cheese if it isn't already. Also make sure to rinse the arugula if necessary and dry it. Once the butter is melted, add the gorgonzola and stir ocassionally. Keep on low heat.
4 tbsp butter, 8 oz blue cheese
Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually 8-12 minutes for a dried pasta of this type. Reserve a small amount of the pasta water, just in case, and drain the pasta.
1 lb farfalle pasta
Toss the drained pasta with the blue cheese, butter and arugula.
6 oz arugula
Taste and add salt and pepper. Dish should take plenty of black pepper.
½ tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Serves 3

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Arugula and Blue Cheese Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 976 Calories from Fat 360

% Daily Value*

Fat 40g62%

Saturated Fat 24g150%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 97mg32%

Sodium 1600mg70%

Potassium 744mg21%

Carbohydrates 117g39%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 38g76%

Vitamin A 2389IU48%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 526mg53%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Quick

Basic Pearl Couscous

August 11, 2021 Sam

This is a basic recipe for pearl couscous, as a reminder on the amounts and timing of preparing couscous.

Print Recipe

Basic Pearl Couscous

Prep Time0

Cook Time15

Total Time15

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 379kcal

Ingredients

t tbsp butter or olive oil
1 cup pearl couscous
1¼ cup vegetable broth

Instructions

Melt better or warm olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium or medium-high heat.
t tbsp butter
Add the 1 cup pearl couscous and saute until starting to toast, about 3 minutes.
Add warmed vegetable broth, stir well, and bring to a boil. Then turn heat down to low and cook for 8-12 minutes until pasta is cooked. Serve.

Notes

Based on 2 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Basic Pearl Couscous

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 646mg28%

Potassium 144mg4%

Carbohydrates 68g23%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 488IU10%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Favorites, Projects, Rotation

Four Focaccia

February 15, 2021 Sam

The best timing is probably this: make the biga one early evening (6-7pm) on a Friday or Saturday. And then you can make the dough the next morning. When you mix the dough (second step), you can leave out one portion (one-quarter, about 14 ounces) and proceed through the steps with that one until you bake it about 5 hours later. The other three-quarters (42 ounces / 2lbs, 10oz) can go into the fridge for a long, cold bulk ferment. Then, each morning, you can remove another portion (14oz) and place into the square pan with olive oil, to warm up and stretch to the edges. Then you can bake after about 2 hours.

Print Recipe

Four Focaccia

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Rising Time21

Total Time22

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Basics, Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 236kcal

Equipment

Closable large container for dough

Ingredients

Biga

6.4 oz bread flour
3.8 oz water
⅛ tsp instant dry yeast

Second portion

25.6 oz bread flour
19.6 oz water
0.6 oz salt about 1 tbsp
0.13 oz instant dry yeast about 1.25 tbsp
4 tbsp olive oil for greasing the pan

Instructions

First Day / Evening

First, make the biga a day before. Gently mix the yeast into the water, warmed to about 70ºF. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just smooth. It should be stiff and dense, but you can add a few drops of water if it seems overly dry. Cover the bowl tightly and leave for 12 to 16 hours at about 70ºF. You will know it’s ready because it should be domed and just beginning to fall in the middle.

Second Day / Morning

Second, prepare the final dough. Add the dry “second portion” ingredients to a stand mixer, mix with the paddle, and then add about half of the water at about 72-75ºF and mix for 3-5 minutes in order to incorporate the ingredients. As it comes together, switch to the dough hook and begin adding the biga in chunks. Mix on second speed for several minutes, at least 5 min, to develop dough strength. You’re looking for a dough that is developing strong gluten. It will be fairly dry at this point. Once you have good strength going, add the remaining water by pulling the dough off the dough hook and pouring the water in there. Mix until the water is incorporated.
At this point, you can take one fourth of the dough (about 13 ounces) and proceed through the steps, while the other three-fourths can be cold fermented for up to a few days. (See notes at top.) For the cold ferment, it may be valuable to still fold in the container once or twice, as the dough cools.
For the portion you are baking in the same day, put into a large, flat, shallow container, like the glass baking pan (which you can cover with plastic wrap or waxed canvas). Fold every 45 minutes, for three folds over three hours (with 45 minutes after the last fold, too).
At the end of the bulk ferment (regular or cold), remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape into an 8” square, the size of your pan, without pushing out too much air. Cover briefly – or cover and allow to sit if you’re unable to stretch it to full size right away. In order to get it to stretch, you may need to let it rest for a bit, especially if you’re doing this after the cold ferment.
Once the dough is the right size, prepare the 8” square metal pan by adding a little over 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and swirl around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Gently place the fermented dough into the pan and make sure it reaches the edges. Allow to rise for 2-2.5 hours.

Bake

Pre-heat the oven to 500ºF. Spray the top of the bread gently with olive oil. Gentle press your fingers into the top of the dough to make dimples. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and salt.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. When done, the top will be golden and the dough will have pulled from the sides of the pan appealingly. The sides and bottom should be closer to brown or golden brown. Allow to cool briefly and then cut and serve.

Notes

Each serving is ¼ of a square, if you’ve made four focaccia as instructed

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Four Focaccia

Amount Per Serving

Calories 236 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 415mg18%

Potassium 57mg2%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1IU0%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Indian

Best. Naan. Ever.

October 4, 2020 Sam

There are a lot of great ways to make naan. This is the best I’ve discovered so far. It’s relatively quick and you get 12 delicious pieces of yeasted, mildly sour bread.

Print Recipe

Best Naan Ever

This excellent naan has more complicated ingredients, but remains relatively quick to make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Rise Time2

Total Time2 45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 195kcal

Ingredients

250 g all-purpose flour
250 g bread flour
2 tbsp canola oil
7 grams active dried yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp whole-milk yogurt
1 cup whole milk warmed
1 tsp canola oil

Instructions

Measure the 250 g all-purpose flour and 250 g bread flour into the stand mixer bowl. Add the paddle attachment. Mix in the 2 tbsp canola oil, 7 grams active dried yeast, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp baking powder. Then add the 4 tbsp whole-milk yogurt and mix until you get a crumb-like texture. If it starts to form a ball, stop and switch to the dough hook. Once mixed, switch to the dough hook, and stir in the 1 cup whole milk (make sure it is warmed to about 100ºF) until it comes together into a ball.
250 g all-purpose flour, 250 g bread flour, 2 tbsp canola oil, 4 tbsp whole-milk yogurt, 7 grams active dried yeast, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp baking powder
Kneed with the dough hook for a few minutes and watch how it is forming. You want it to form a cohesive dough, but it can stay fairly sticky and formless at this point. It should be just dry and gluten-strengthened enough to not stick to the dough hook by the time it is done. (This will be a fairly wet dough, comparatively.)
Place 1 tsp canola oil into a large, clean mixing bowl. Pull the dough out of the stand mixing bowl and gently turn over in the oil in the mixing bowl, so it’s well-coated. Cover with a dish towel that is damp with hot water and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
1 tsp canola oil
Pull the dough from the mixing bowl and gently and quickly roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal portions using a knife or dough-scraper. Let rest on a lightly floured work surface, covered with a dry towel (which can also be covered by the wet towel so they don't dry out).
Heat a very large preferably non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, about a 6.5 out of 10. Allow it to get hot while you roll out the first naan.
Next, you will roll out each naan and then add to the hot pan. While it cooks, you will roll out 1-2 more naan. It's best if you have a willing helper to manage the rolling while you handle the cooking naan, but you can multi-task this too.
More specifically: With each piece, flatten into a long round, about 4” wide and as long as needed (maybe 9”) to get a fairly thin piece of naan. You may need to use some flour to prevent sticking to the work surface, but try not use too much.
Once the pan or skillet is hot, cook each naan for about 45-90 seconds per side and then flip and grill for another 30-45 seconds until cooked and developing color. Remove to a warmed oven, if desired.

Notes

Makes 12 pieces of naan

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Best Naan Ever

Amount Per Serving

Calories 195 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 436mg19%

Potassium 85mg2%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 39IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 57mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Great Leftovers, Quick, Summer, Weeknight Dinner

Cold Sesame Noodles with Crunchy Vegetables

September 6, 2020 Sam

This is one of the best hot-weather meals there is. You only briefly heat up the kitchen with a quick pasta boil. And then everything else stays cold. And you eat it cold. Delicious!

Print Recipe

Cold Sesame Noodles with Crunchy Vegetables

Hot-weather classic

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 467kcal

Ingredients

4 cups raw, crunch vegetables snap peas, bell peppers; chopped
12 oz fresh noodles Linguine or bucatini, for example
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
½ cup tahini
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fresh ginger minced or grated
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp hot sesame oil or more, to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the vegetables by cleaning and chopping them into bite-sized pieces. Snap peas can be kept whole if not too large. Place vegetables in the fridge once cut.
Cook the noodles very quickly, following package directions. (Freshest pasta may only need 50-75 seconds). Rinse well in cold water. Toss with a few dashes of sesame oil. Store in a container in the fridge to keep cooling down.
Whisk together the sesame oil, tahini, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, hot oil and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Thin the sauce with 1-2 tbsp warm water until it’s the consistency of heavy cream. Store in the fridge.
When ready to eat a serving, toss the three things together – noodles, fresh veggies, sauce (¼ to ½ cup per serving).

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cold Sesame Noodles with Crunchy Vegetables

Amount Per Serving

Calories 467 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 786mg34%

Potassium 450mg13%

Carbohydrates 61g20%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 1115IU22%

Vitamin C 59mg72%

Calcium 79mg8%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Dinner Party, Favorites, Holiday, Projects, Side

Challah

November 24, 2015 Sam

This is an old classic, from at least 2015, if not even earlier than that. I’ve modified the recipe some, particularly in 2020 when I got very into reading books about baking bread. That’s when I transformed it into the current version.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Favorites, Projects, Weekend Dinner

Classic Semolina Pasta

December 24, 2014 Sam

This classic pasta recipe is just about perfect. One batch is enough for skillet lasagna or about 4 servings, approximately.

Print Recipe

Classic Semolina Pasta

Fresh pasta that can't be beat

Prep Time2 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Basics, Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 297kcal

Equipment

Pasta press (e.g., Kitchenaid attachment)
Rotary cutter
Noodle rack

Ingredients

1 cup semolina flour
1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold water

Instructions

Combine the semolina flour, bread flour, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, mix these ingredients together, then using a sifter, sift into another bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and beat well with a fork. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the cold water and mix well again.
Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixer bowl and attach the flat beater. Add half of the sifted flour mixture, turn to speed 2 and mix 20 seconds. Add the rest of the sifted flour mixture and mix an additional 20 seconds.
Exchange flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, until a dough ball is formed. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides as necessary to get it form a ball. Continue kneading for a few minutes. Good pasta dough should be elastic and pliable, but FIRM (not soft like bread dough). It should not stick to your fingers or fall apart. To test for the correct consistency, pinch a small amount of dough together after kneading for 2 to 3 minutes — if the dough stays together without sticking to your fingers or falling apart, it should work well. If too soft, add more flour by dusting the top of the dough and knead some more, continuing to dust the dough with flour until achieving the right consistency. If too dry, sprinkle the dough with a bit of water (less than 1 tsp at a time) and knead some more.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour (this step is very important).
Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes still wrapped. Using your hands, roll dough into a log, about 6-inches long. Cut the log into 6 slices, then flatten each piece slightly. Spread slices out so they aren't touching and cover with plastic wrap. Put out a sprinkling of bread flour that you will use to make sure the exterior of the pasta stays low-friction as it gets compressed by the pasta roller.
Using the widest setting on the pasta press, turn mixer to speed 2 and take one piece of the flattened dough coated in a bit of flour and feed through the rollers. Fold dough in half and roll again. Repeat 3 more times, lightly dusting the sheet of pasta with flour in between each rolling if it feels the slightest bit sticky.
Move adjustment knob to setting 2 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers only once. Continue to increase roller setting until desired dough thickness is reached: 4 for standard egg noodles; 4 or 5 for lasagna noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli; 6 or 7 for tortellini, thin fettuccine, and linguine fini; 7 or 8 for VERY thin "angel-hair" type pasta or a very fine linguine.
Once desired thickness is achieved, place sheets on a flat surface to cut into noodles (if desired) using the rotary cutter. You may need to cut sheets in half if they have grown too long for standard noodle length.
After cutting each sheet, hang to dry on a floured pasta rack. Dry for a minimum of 10 minutes. IMPORTANT: Flour the pasta rack or the plastic hangers before placing pasta on them. ALSO, separate the strips of pasta as best you can, so they aren't touching. This way they won't dry sticking together. If you want to dry the pasta for later use, dry for several hours and then store in airtight containers or bags.
When ready to cook, boil your water and add salt. Fresh pasta will cook faster than commercially bought pasta – about 4 to 5 minutes in vigorously boiling water for al dente.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Classic Semolina Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 297 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 164mg7%

Potassium 127mg4%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 68IU1%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Indian

Quick Naan

December 24, 2014 Sam

This is my classic recipe for naan that doesn’t require warmed milk, and so it’s much more likely to be possible with what you have on hand.

Print Recipe

Quick Naan

Slightly simpler ingredients and quicker rise

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Rise Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Bread

Servings: pieces

Calories: 244kcal

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
7 g active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup water 120° to 130°
¼ cup neutral oil
¼ cup full-fat plain yogurt

Instructions

In a large stand mixer bowl, combine half of the flour and all of the yeast, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add warm water, oil, and yogurt to the flour mixture. Mix using the paddle attachment for 60 seconds or so, until well mixed. Switch to the dough hook and gradually mix in remaining flour to make a smooth dough, add more or less flour as necessary. Knead for up to 5 minutes until the gluten is well-developed.
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until dough doubles, about 45 minutes.
Punch the dough down, and divide dough in to 8 pieces. Let it rest five minutes covered. Roll out each piece of dough in to a tear drop shape about 8 inches long and less than ¼-inch thick.
Heat a large skillet or suaté pan over medium-high heat. Before placing naan on the pan, spray the naan with a small amount of water and put it wet-side down. Cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned and starting to puff. Spray with additional water and flip the naan over and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Once done, you can store in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Quick Naan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 331mg14%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 8IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Fall, Favorites, Projects, Spring, Summer, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Spinach Pasta

December 24, 2014 Sam

This is a classic from the archives – nearly seven years old as I update and retype this in 2021. This is homemade gourmet at its best.

This makes two separate servings of two. Refrigerate or freeze the excess pasta and use only half of the “sauce” ingredients per each time you cook it.

Print Recipe

Spinach Pasta

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time15

Total Time1 45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 708kcal

Equipment

Food processor
Pasta rollers

Ingredients

Pasta

10 oz frozen spinach thawed, pressed, and chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tbsp water

2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make Pasta

To remove moisture from the spinach, microwave it for a about 1 minute and then press as much water out of it as you can in a mesh strainer. Use towels (or paper towels) to further dry it. Once as dry as possible, chop it in a food processor until very fine.
With the flat beater on, combine the spinach and 4 cups flour into the stand mixer bowl and stir them up a bit. Then add the 4 eggs and 1 tbsp water and mix with the flat beater for about 30 seconds until it comes together.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 large eggs, 1 tbsp water
Switch to the dough hook and mix on low for about 2 minutes. Remove the dough and knead by hand for a few minutes, adding extra flour to the get the right consistency, which is stiff, but pliable and not sticky at all.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Do not refrigerate or it will be too cold.
Cut the dough ball into eight equal pieces and work on one piece at a time. Use plenty of flour. Start with the widest setting on the roller and put it through a few times, folding it over in half in between passes. At the end your sheet should be the exact width of you pasta roller. If the dough starts to stick at all, dust the sheet of pasta with flour. Then you can work it through the roller until it gets down to your desired thickness (setting 4 is ideal for thick but manageable pasta).
Cut the pasta as desired and hang to dry on a pasta tree.

Storing Extra Noodles

Place nests of pasta in a freezer bag and store until you want to cook them (no more than one month is ideal).

Cooking the Pasta

For fresh or frozen pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it’s boiling, add your pasta. After 3 or 4 minutes all the pasta should be floating and that means it’s done.

For the Basic Sauce

As the pasta is cooking, add 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes with 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and put it over high heat with 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1 tsp salt. Don’t completely cook down the tomatoes, just heat them up and get the flavors to combine some. Turn the heat to low.
2 pints cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp red pepper flakes
When the pasta is done you can use tongs to pull it out of the water and add it straight to the pan with the tomatoes, allowing a bit of the pasta water to come with the noodles. Stir a bit to cook off the pasta water and serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 4

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spinach Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 708 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 164mg55%

Sodium 742mg32%

Potassium 975mg28%

Carbohydrates 109g36%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 10002IU200%

Vitamin C 58mg70%

Calcium 165mg17%

Iron 10mg56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Favorites, Snack

Soft Pretzels

June 5, 2012 Sam

I have been making these for years and adjusting the recipe for a long time. According to Google Drive, my first version of this recipe is from June 2012, so I’m marking that as the date here, even though I’ve modified it since then.

It’s a classic for a reason – these are fantastic soft pretzels!

Print Recipe

Soft Pretzels

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

Course: Bread, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 209kcal

Ingredients

Pretzel

450 g bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
11 g instant yeast
300 g warm water

Water bath

4 cups water
2 tbsp baking soda

Topping

Coarse salt pretzel, flake or kosher salt

Instructions

Measure the dry ingredients into a mixer bowl and mix quickly to combine. Add the 300g warm water while kneading in the stand mixer (add up to 50g more water, or a bit more flour, if needed to form a barely-sticky dough). Knead for around 8 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
450 g bread flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 11 g instant yeast, 300 g warm water
After it has rested, pull a piece of parchment paper the size of the baking sheet. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and cover with a clean towel. You want the dough to rest for about 5 minutes after each is divided, so do this at a reasonably gentle pace.
Once it has rested after being divided, roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about two feet) and twist each rope into a pretzel. Make sure you connect the legs to the frame well, so it does not come apart later. (They should be fairly thin at this step, as they will continue to plump up.) Set aside and cover as you go, allowing them to rise again for 10 minutes under cover. They can be on a sheet pan, if you'd like, but you will be transferring them off before you bake them, so it should be a second sheet pan if anything.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a deep skillet, heat 4 cups water and 2 tbsp baking soda (or 2 cups, 1 tbsp for a smaller pan) until it is barely simmering. Quickly and very carefully boil each pretzel in the mixture for about 30 seconds, placing the completed pretzels on a baking sheet and sprinkling with a very coarse salt as soon as they come out of the boiling pan.
4 cups water, 2 tbsp baking soda, Coarse salt
Bake the pretzels for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Notes

Makes 8 pretzels

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Soft Pretzels

Amount Per Serving

Calories 209 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1410mg61%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.