Auntie Anne's Pretzel (Clone)

Serves 8 | Prep Time: 2 hours | Cook Time: 20-25 min

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups 510g warm water or whole milk or milk substitute 110 115°
• 1 1/2 package 11g Instant or Rapid Yeast
• 1/4 cup 56 g brown sugar or maple sugar or swerve sweetener brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon 9 g table salt
• 5 cup 700 g Better Batter or 4 cup 560 Better Batter Artisan blend for whole grian soft pretzel
  
• 4 tablespoons 54 soften butter or vegan butter

Pretzel Bath Spray 

• 2 cup Warm Water
• 2 Tbsp baking soda 

Toppings

• 2 sticks unsalted butter or vegan butter (melted and kept warm)
• Coarse Kosher Salt or Cinnamon Sugar

 

Instructions

Mixing

By Hand: Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to stir and knead until ingredients form a dough, about 10–12 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.
Stand Mixer: Place all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for 2 minutes. Turn speed to medium high and mix for another 5 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.

 

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest and hydrate for 45–60 min at room temperature (until doubled). (This could take up to 90 minutes in a colder environment. This could take up to two hours. (This must happen before we proceed with the rest of the recipe.) This option can happen after warm proofing. Alternatively, cold‑proof up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature ~90 min before use.

To Bake: While dough is resting (or the day you plan to make pretzels), prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 Tbsp baking soda. Place into a plastic spray bottle or bowl. Be certain to stir or shake often.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Prepare several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Shape
Lightly flour a rolling surface. Knead dough lightly a few times

 

Separate the dough into balls slightly larger than baseballs but slightly smaller than tennis balls - about 4 ounces per ball. Roll slightly on a lightly floured surface to ensure the outside is lightly coated with flour. Taking one ball at a time, roll the ball between your hands until it is about four inches long. Lay onto the rolling surface. and roll a "snake", about 14 inches long - dough will be about 1/2 inch in diameter . Take the rope and quickly form it into a pretzel shape. This dough should be able to be handled well. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat. Spray each pretzel with soda solution or brush the solution onto the pretzel. Allow pretzels to rise for about 45 to 30 minutes until double in size minutes. Ensure oven is correct temperature, then spray pretzels one more time and place into the oven.

 

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden, then remove from oven. While still warm, dip in melted butter and desired toppings, then serve in additional parchment paper and enjoy!