Baked, Soft Pretzels- Vegan, Oil-Free

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp active-dry yeast

  (one package)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 cups water
• 2 tsp baking soda

  (for the boiling water only- see notes)
• 4 cups water

  (for boiling)

Instructions

• 1 Add 1.5 cups of water, sugar and yeast in large bowl. Stir to activate.
• 2 Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• 3 Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is puffy and bounces back after kneading.
• 4 Add salt. Salt strengthens the gluten and makes the dough fight you- so make
  sure you add this last, but don't forget.
• 5 Put a small amount of water in a clean bowl to "grease" it.
• 6 Place the dough in the bowl, swirling it around and flipping it to slightly wet
  the dough. This keeps a hard crust from forming while it rises.
• 7 Let rise for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size.
• 8 Preheat oven to 450º F.
• 9 Set out a large baking sheet with silipat liner or parchment paper.
• 10 In a large saucepan, fill halfway with water (4-6 cups) and add baking soda.
  Turn heat to high so it will start boiling while you're working the next step.
• 11 While water is heating, grab handfuls of the dough and roll into long ropes to
  prepare the pretzels. Shape into pretzels and set on baking sheet. Continue
  until all the dough is used. Should make about 12 pretzels, depending on size.
• 12 Using a slotted spoon, drop 2-3 pretzels at a time (whatever fits comfortably in
  your pot) in the baking-soda & boiling water for 30 seconds. This helps the
  pretzels brown nicely. Remove the pretzels from the water and return to the
  baking sheet. A little extra water on the sheet is fine.
• 13 If desired (Esselstyn doesn't recommend this if you have heart disease) sprinkle
  each pretzel lightly with sea salt.
• 14 Bake pretzels for 15 minutes, watching closely the last 5 minutes. They will
  brown quickly, but don't let them burn.
• 15 Remove from baking tray and serve hot. Will keep up to 2 days in airtight
  containers.

Nutrition Info