Bretzel Bread, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

I've been promising this post and video for over a year, but I finally did it! If you've been reading this blog even for a few months, you'll know how much I love baking Bretzel bread. Bretzel is German pretzel bread, like a soft pretzel but in roll/loaf form. It is my favorite food ever, and I love baking it. I always get questions whenever I make this bread, so I put together this post for anyone who's ever wanted to bake it!

Traditional soft pretzel recipes require a lye bath, but thankfully, you can achieve similar results with a baking soda bath. The advantage of using baking soda is that you probably already have it on hand and it's safe to handle, unlike lye. I have tried a few different Bretzel recipes, but this one is my all-time favorite, I now use it exclusively. I don't make any changes, it's that good! I'm going to share a few tips and then walk you through preparing your rolls, the baking soda bath, and finishing your Bretzel rolls. The video is at the very end of this post!

Ingredients

Bretzel, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

- Do not try to substitute regular flour for the bread flour. Bread flour has extra gluten in it, and it really gives it that chewy pretzel like texture. If you don't plan to use it a lot, store it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to keep it fresh.

- Yeast, baking soda, and bread flour all have expiration dates, make sure and check them before baking!

- I use regular active dry yeast for this recipe. We used quick rising once, but it didn't work as well. I've never used bread machine yeast either. If in doubt, stick with regular!

- If you're like me and forget to set out butter and milk to warm to room temperature (or you're impatient!), here is a little trick. Melt your butter in the microwave, then pour the milk into the same dish. Put the dish back in the fridge for a few minutes, until it feels lukewarm.

- Invest in a simple thermometer. They're inexpensive and take the guesswork out of getting your water right. I have this one, you can buy them at most big-box stores! I like to get my water to 115 degrees F (you're aiming for 110-120), that way if my milk/butter is a little too warm or too cold, it shouldn't be a big deal.

Making the Dough

Bretzel, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

- After you add the yeast and are waiting the 10 minutes, your yeast should foam up. If it doesn't, start over! It's been killed!

- I almost always end up using the full 3 cups of flour.

- After the first rise, I use a Kitchenaid Mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough for 10 minutes (keep an eye on that mixer, they'll sometimes "walk" right off the counter if you're not careful!). If you don't have an electric mixer, knead by hand for 15-20 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth. Try not to add too much extra flour.

- If you're thinking about buying an electric mixer but hesitating because of the price, don't forget to check your local consignment shops. Kitchenaid mixers last a long time. My Mom has one from the 70s that is still in great working order, they're tanks! Mine is from a thrift store, but it's rather new since it's a colored one! You can often find good deals on new ones around the holidays too!

- I like to separate the dough into four balls rather than two. I like smaller rolls!

- As you're forming the rolls, make sure to stretch the dough and tuck the ends under until it's sealed on the bottom. You don't want water to get into the dough during the bath.

Baking Soda Bath

Bretzel, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

- Be careful, you need a rolling boil! Add the baking soda very slowly, it bubbles up quite a bit.

- If you plan on making this recipe more than once, I'd highly recommend purchasing a spider strainer, I use this one. It is the perfect size and shape for lowering the rolls into the bath. You have to be gentle with the dough at this point, because you don't want the rolls to open up and water to get into them. You could also use a slotted spoon, or slotted pancake turner.

- The rolls should float up to the surface when you put them in the bath.

- After the rolls have been in the bath for 15-20 seconds, flip them over and let the other side sit for another 15-20 seconds. Lift out carefully.

- I like to do one roll at a time to make sure the pot isn't too crowded and I can keep an eye on them.

- When you're finished, it's perfectly safe to dump the water down the kitchen sink. I usually do so while it's still hot, cleans out your drain like nothing else!

Baking

Heaven, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

- Don't forget to cut slits in the top of your rolls AFTER they've been in the bath so that air can escape during baking. I use a serrated knife to cut the slits.

- Sprinkle kosher salt on top! If you forget to do this before baking, it's not the end of the world, just add it when they're done.

- Apply melted butter immediately after they come out of the oven. I use a silicon pastry brush to apply the butter.

- The bread tastes best hot from the oven. Cut in half and eat alone (my favorite), or with butter or jelly. Would also make a fantastic sandwich bun!

- If you have leftovers, don't store them in an airtight container, the crust will get mushy. You can leave them sitting out overnight. I give it a quick go in the microwave and it's perfect for breakfast!

Okay, now for the video! I show you how to form the dough into the rolls and the baking soda bath. Thanks to Michael for taping it!


I hope that is helpful! The baking soda bath can be a little scary the first time around, but I promise it's doable! If you have any questions, please ask, I'll reply in the comments!

Happy Baking!

Favorites

Favorites, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

1. Basting, 2. Portholes Table Runner, 3. Untitled, 4. IMG_8998, 5. FWA - Soulsister of Lyrics on Hexies (PTS7), 6. Pillow Talk Swap Top, 7. Cutting Edge Quilt, 8. Dream On quilt - finished!, 9. bloom mini quilt

Every Friday I go through my favorite photos on Flickr, and choose nine sewing/quilting related projects to showcase here. These photos and projects are not my own, you can find the original images and creators by clicking the coordinating links! If for any reason you do not want your project featured here, please feel free to email me and I'll remove it!

Happy Weekend! :)

JAQS Fabrics + Giveaway!

 
Today I have a giveaway for you from my new sponsor, JAQS Fabrics!

JAQS Fabrics is run by the lovely Q, who blogs here about her stitching adventures, and has a great selection of modern fabrics.  You'll find fabrics from Moda,  Robert Kaufman, and Cloud 9 (among others!) alongside great Japanese fabrics from Kokka and Lecien! You can even browse fabrics by color!

Beyond great selection and a clean, easy to navigate website, you're going to find savings programs too.  US Shipping is always $5 or less, every $20 you spend earns you fabric credit, and the more you buy, the more you save!  We all like to save a little, right?

And now, it's time for that giveaway! Q has generously offered a half-yard set of these lovely prints from Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt for one lucky winner!

So, how to enter? Just leave a comment!

If you'd like a second entry, head on over to JAQS Fabrics and let me know what your favorite item is (come back and leave a second comment!)!

Make sure your email address is viewable in your profile or include it in your comment.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Giveaway ends Monday, June 18th, at 5 pm CST! US entries only please!

What's my favorite item? It was a tough call, but I'm really drawn to this adorable Ballerina patchwork print by Kokka! It's so sweet! And the girl's tutu is beyond cute!  What's my favorite service at JAQS Fabrics? That you can order Fat Quarters, woo hoo!

Since there will be only one giveaway winner, Q has a little something for everyone!  For 15% off entire store use coupon code "InColorOrder15" for orders over $50! Code valid until Wednesday, June 20th.

Good Luck and Thank you to JAQS Fabrics!

Monday

Schoolhouse Tunic, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Happy Monday! Summer is already turning out to be crazy busy and it hasn't even officially started yet! I did finally, finally, finally worked through my inbox, so thanks for your patience if you asked a question in the last month! It got out of control!

This weekend I took a little break and stitched up a new top for myself.  This time using the Schoolhouse Tunic Pattern by Sew Liberated.  I skipped making a muslin and went ahead and used some Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House.  I am really happy with how it turned out! I'm looking forward to making another in a lightweight fabric for summer!

I bought my Hello Pilgrim print from Bloomerie Fabrics (it's even on sale!).  You can also find it at Fat Quarter Shop and Pink Castle Fabrics.

Handstitching, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Picked up a little hand stitching this weekend using a Simply Color mini charm pack this weekend.  These hexagons are destined to become a zipper pouch for a certain special someone! :)

Darling Ranges, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

I finally decided on a good fabric for the Darling Ranges dress pattern by Megan Nielsen.  I bought some of this print in the other colorway for a tunic, and this colorway seemed perfect for this dress.  It's the Terra Stamps print from Rhapsodia by Art Gallery Fabrics. 

I bought mine from The Intrepid Thread.

Rhapsodia by Art Gallery Fabrics, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

Speaking of Rhapsodia! Mmmmm! It's so delicious! This stack is currently becoming a new purse! I'll be sharing more about it later this month as a part of Purse Palooza, a month-long purse pattern party put on by Sara of Sew Sweetness!

Yogurt Stars, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

How pretty are these goodies? They're yogurt stars from Trader Joes.  They're yummy and such pretty colors!

George, a photo by jenib320 on Flickr.

George! :)

I'm happy to welcome a new sponsor to In Color Order this week, Quilt in a Day! I swear by their rulers! Also, don't forget to check out this week's Fat Quarter Gang Tutorial on the Art Gallery Fabrics blog!

Today I love the..
Smell of: Vanilla lip balm
Sound of: Keane
Taste of: Corn on the cob
Sight of: George
Feel of: Cool Fan

Good Things about Today:
- Got to the sewing machine!
- Michael came home early!
- Happy mail!
- Used my regular camera!