Leiah’s Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels

My older sister Leiah is so good at so many things that it almost doesn’t seem fair that she has also always been an amazing baker. She’s also always been in love with carbs. As a teenager her arsenal of after-school snacks mostly consisted of copious amounts of red vines or flour tortillas rolled up with either peanut butter and whipped cream or butter and cinnamon sugar. On the few weekends that she wasn’t busy with basketball, choir, drama, or church activities she would often bake.

These pretzels were a specialty of hers, and our Grandma Thornton liked them so much that she included Leiah’s recipe in her family favorites cookbook many years later along with a sweet little drawing of what the finished pretzels should look like.

When I went to make the recipe I was a little concerned about the fact that it was an unenriched, very plain dough — no eggs, milk, or fat of any kind. However I was pleasantly surprised with the chewiness and great pretzely texture of the finished product. I can’t help but think that Leiah’s soft pretzel dough would also make great bagels. I’ve also done these with a savory garlic parmesan topping instead of the cinnamon sugar, and they are delicious that way as well.

Ingredients

Soft Pretzel Dough

• 1⅓ cups warm water
• 1 package yeast
• 3½ to 4½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3–4 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Pour the warm water into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with the yeast, and stir until dissolved. Add the sugar and salt and beat with a wooden spoon. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until a soft, workable dough forms.
2. Knead for 5–7 minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle on a floured board and cut into long strips (6–12 strips depending on the size you want). Shape into pretzels on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for a few minutes.
3. Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
4. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
5. Serve warm.