Wetzel Pretzel Copycat Recipes

ALMOST-FAMOUS SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Make the pretzels: Warm the milk in a saucepan until it's about 110 degrees; pour into a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes; stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. Dice 2 tablespoons butter and soften; stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.
• Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Prepare the sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, brown sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish. Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, turning to coat; place on a wire rack to let excess butter drip off. Serve the pretzels warm with the sweet mustard sauce.
• Illustration by Jason Lee

COPYCAT AUNTIE ANNE'S SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Add the warm water to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the surface. Let the yeast "bloom" then stir in the sugar and salt. Add the flours slowly while stirring until it forms a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place back in the bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft free location. While the dough is rising, prepare the water bath by mixing the warm water and baking soda. Stir well. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. When the dough has risen, pinch off pieces of the dough and roll out into a long, thin (1/2-inch thick or less) ripe. Shape into a pretzel shape, or other desired shape. Dip the pretzel in the warm baking soda solution and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pretzels from the oven and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle the hot pretzels with the coarse salt. For cinnamon-sugar pretzels, dip the pretzels in melted butter then coat in blend of ground cinnamon and sugar.

MALL PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
• Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan. Line 6 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place onto parchment covered baking sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

AUNTIE ANNE'S PRETZELS - COPYCAT

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic.
• Let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda.
• Be certain to stir often.
• After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape.
• Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again.
• Bake in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Toppings: After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.
• Or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
• Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously.
• Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.
• Notes: The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie Anne's they will be.

AUNTIE ANNE'S COPYCAT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Grease a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle yeast onto lukewarm (about 115 degrees) water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve.
• Add flour and knead dough (in bowl) until smooth and elastic.
• Cover and let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• Mix the bath of warm water and baking soda in a shallow bowl and stir often.
• Divide dough and roll into a long, thin rope, the thinner the better. 1/2" thick is great if you have the skill and patience. This gets easier with practice.
• Shape into a pretzel (make a u-shape, twist, then bring ends down to form shape), dip into water bath and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again (I prefer to keep them covered during the rise).
• Bake in a preheated, 450 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Bake ONLY until JUST golden. If they are overcooked, they are tough.
• While they are baking, melt butter and whisk a little bit of honey into the butter (I use about a tablespoon for 4 pretzels but you can use whatever you prefer).
• When pretzels are almost done, brush each one with the butter/honey mixture and return to the oven for about a minute.
• You can sprinkle on cinnamon sugar just after brushing on the butter, or skip the honey and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, garlic salt, coarse salt, or whatever topping you like.
• These can also be made into tasty pretzel sticks.