Milk Street’s Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels

Photo: Milk Street

While still living with my parents, I used to make bagels. I got the recipe from a tiny paper recipe book I bought at a drugstore for 25-cents. After moving to Manhattan, I never had to make bagels again! Soft pretzels are kind of like the cousins of bagels as they’re made much the same way. There’s nothing better tasting than a fresh soft pretzel! For some reason, in Manhattan, a soft pretzel is much more expensive (costing $10 - $16) compared to a bagel (at $1.25 - $2.00). There are more bagel manufacturers than soft pretzel makers, so less competition may determine its price.

With simple ingredients, baking pretzels isn’t hard, but it takes time. Over the weekend, I watched Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street make Three-Seeded Beer Pretzels and then googled the recipe for guidance. If requested, I’ll remove the recipe, but it’s on the internet, and I’ll also link it to Milk Street’s website.

Ingredients for Milk Street’s dough:

4 cups (548g) bread flour (plus more as needed)

2¼ tsp instant yeast

2¼ tsp table salt
¾ cup amber ale or lager
⅔ cup water
2 tbsp salted butter, cubed and softened
1½ tbsp barley malt syrup (or molasses)

For Boiling: ⅓ cup baking soda

A pot of water

Topping Seed Mixture: 1 large egg white, beaten

2 tsp flaky salt, ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp caraway seeds

Milk Street’s Directions:

1) In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt. 

2) Add beer, ⅔ cup water, butter, and syrup. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then medium for 6–7 minutes until smooth and shiny.

3) Cold Fermentation (Optional but recommended): Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours for better flavor.

4) Shape: Divide dough into 10 pieces (approx. 95g each). Roll each into a 26- to 28-inch rope and shape into a pretzel. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets misted with oil.

5) Rise: Let shaped pretzels rise for 15–20 minutes until slightly puffy.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

6) Boil: Bring 3 quarts of water and baking soda to a simmer in a large pot. Boil pretzels for 30 seconds, then return to baking sheets.

7) Top and Bake: Brush with egg white, slash the "belly" of the pretzel with a knife, and sprinkle with the seed mix and flaky salt.

8) Bake: Bake for 14–16 minutes at 450°F until deeply browned, rotating sheets halfway through.

Debra’s Tweaks:

I only used 2 cups of bread flour to make 6 pretzels. Lacking beer, the 3 types of seeds, and barley malt syrup, I substituted sourdough starter, Everything Seasoning, Himalayan salt, and dark brown sugar. I simply stirred my dough ingredients together with a long handle of a mixing spoon, then proofed the dough in my oven for 6 hours and kneeded it until elastic. After the boiling step #6 and rolling it out, the forming the pretzels, I sprinkled the tops with Everything seasoning and salt (sans egg white). I baked my pretzels at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes without rotating the baking sheet. It worked! My pretzels were very tasty, so feel free to make the recipe your own! As far as shaping the pretzels on my 1st try, well, a couple were elephant man pretzels in appearance. Practice makes perfect.

BTW, have you ever wondered how pretzels got their shape?

According to legend, 7th-century monks (in Italy or Southern France) created pretzels as treats, pretiola (Latin for "little rewards") for children who were learning their prayers. The shape was twisted to resemble arms crossed in prayer with 3 holes in the twist to represent the Holy Trinity. Also called bracellae ("little arms"), eventually the savory pastry spread throughout Europe, becoming brezel in German, and later on, German immigrants brought pretzels to America.

Hot out of the oven, homemade pretzels are as delicious as fresh vendor pretzels! I’d only made as many as you can eat since they lose moisture after tossing them into the freezer. The next day they were still good, but not quite as good. 🥨

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Useful: Bigger Bolder Bakers' Substitute Corn Syrup & Molasses

PhoPhoto: Bigger Bolder Baker

There are two baking ingredients I never have in my pantry because I rarely need them. With these substitute recipes, I may never have to buy them. Thanks to Gemma Stafford, a former chef, I can make them at home (with ingredients I always have) for when I get a notion to bake a pastry that calls for one or the other. I love Gemma's recipes, tips, and videos but her website has so many ads and popups it's slowwww to load and murder to scroll, therefore although I'll link her website here I'm reluctant to send readers over there to be frustrated, so I'm reposting her 2 substitute recipes below also:

 I) Substitute Corn Syrup

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz/450g) sugar
3/4 cup (6floz/170ml) water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (there is no substitute for this)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (stops sugar from clumping)
a pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Toss the sugar, water, cream of tartar, lemon juice, and salt into a heavy saucepan.

2) Bring to a medium boil, stir until the sugar dissolves, then turn down the heat to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture reduces quite a bit. Once cooled the syrup thickens. 

Photo: Bigger Bolder Bakers

II) Substitute Molasses

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz/450g) dark brown sugar
3/4 cups (6floz/170ml) water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

Directions:

1) In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the dark brown sugar, water, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

2) Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Cool and store in a sealed glass jar.

Gemma is an excellent baker and teacher and you should check out her how-to YouTube videos, but oi vay that website!

*****************************************************************************

So now let's bake something!

All blondie photos and recipe courtesy of ATK

Let's use our homemade corn syrup to make America's Test Kitchen's Brown Butter Blondies -- linked here -- another website with inconveniences that you can overcome by watching its videos on Youtube.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup pecans, oven-toasted and chopped coarsely

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon flake sea salt, crumbled

Prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil with flaps (and crisscrossed +) so that you can lift the blondies up out of the pan after they are baked. Make sure you press the foil into the 4 corners of the pan and grease or use cooking spray on the foil.

Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder.

2) Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Over medium heat, simmer the butter, whisking throughout until it's golden brown and has a nutty aroma, which gives the blondies a butterscotch flavor. Transfer to a large heat-proof mixing bowl.

3) Add the sugar to the hot butter and whisk. 

4) Next add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

5) Stir in the flour mixture until fluffy. Test Kitchen uses a spatula to incorporate the ingredients.

6) Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

7) Spread evenly into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle to top with the flaked sea salt.

8) Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 - 40 minutes (turning the pan around at 20 minutes) until golden brown and the cake springs back to the touch.

9) Let the blondies cool completely in the pan before lifting the foil with the pastry out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Makes 24 bars.

Sometimes it takes a professional baker to perfect a substitution that works in our recipes. Thank you, Gemma Stafford (and Test Kitchen for the best blondies). Who wants to run to the supermarket every time you turn around, not to mention, stock 2 ingredients you rarely use! Now there's no need to do either.

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Easy Homemade Strawberry Cake

Photo: KeyIngredient

I have a craving for a slice of strawberry cake and so decided to make one. A majority of recipes call for a box of strawberry jello, dried flaked strawberries, or 6 eggs, but c'mon ... an overabundance of ingredients to buy ... or just too eggy for my tastes. A homemade cake should be light, moist, and simple. Moreover, starting with a box of white cake mix? Fuhgeddaboudit! IMHO: There are 2 instant foods that make no sense to buy. They are: (1) instant rice and (2) cake mix since in using either one the prep isn't reduced, only the flavor. Hey, I say when you don't feel like making a cake from scratch, buy a cake from a good bakery! But finding a good bakery isn't necessary today, my lovelies, as here's an easy-peasy homemade cake recipe to follow using fresh strawberries, all-purpose flour, and only 2 eggs, items often in your pantry: 

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

16 ounces of strawberries: For 3/4 cup strawberry puree, plus 1/4 cup diced and mashed strawberries. You'll need to prep but can do it ahead of time. (See how-to below.)

3/4 cup sugar 

1 stick of butter softened

2 large (or extra large) eggs 
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional: use strawberry extract if you have it).

A squirt of lemon juice (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt 
½ cup buttermilk

Preparation of the strawberries - Makes (a) 3/4 cup of strawberry puree and (b) 1/4 cup of diced, mashed strawberries: Toss about 12 ounces of strawberries into a blender to get 3/4 cup of strawberry puree. If necessary, add a 1/8 cup of water -- but strawberries are usually juicy enough. Next, simmer the mixture in a saucepan to reduce the liquid, and afterward cool the puree completely. Set aside. Dice and mash the remaining 1/4 cup of strawberries, then sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on top, and set aside. This 2nd mixture will give your cake some chunks of strawberries in the texture. If you have extra strawberries, feel free to bump the chunks up to 1/2 cup that folds into the batter in step 5 below.

Directions:

1) Use an electric mixer to combine the sugar, butter, and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree. Save the rest of the puree to make the frosting.

2) Add the eggs and vanilla, a squirt of lemon, and beat.

3) Mix in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

4) Next add the buttermilk.

5) To the batter, fold in the diced, mashed strawberries with juice.

6) Pour the batter into 2-9 inch buttered and floured cake pans.

7) Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 40 - 50 minutes or until done in the center.

Strawberry Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter softened

The remaining strawberry puree

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or if you have it, a sprinkle of strawberry extract)

1 box of confectioner's sugar.

Directions:

1) Mix the butter, strawberry puree, and vanilla together, and add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar at a time to the mixing bowl until you get the right consistency of frosting. Use as much of the box as needed. I simply pour it in and stir. When it thickens into frosting without being too stiff or thin, I stop. I also add drops of milk if necessary.

When I was a young child we had a man who grew and sold strawberries by walking our neighborhood and yelling, "Strawberry, strawberry, straw-ber-ry man." This cake reminds me of him, an industrious, hardworking, city farmer.🍓

On Facebook, I learned our neighborhood once had a Ragman (who rode a wagon pulled by a horse) and a Popcorn Man who came around to sell their goods. I remember having a Fuller Brush Man, a Potato Chip Man, an Egg Man, an Avon Lady, and an ice cream truck. If they came to the house at the right time, they ate lunch or drank coffee with us.🏇

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Black Forest Cookies

I'm still busy away from blogging but I'll jump on as time permits. Today for the first time ever I tasted a soft, chewy, and ultra chocolatey cookie that I never knew existed! The rich dark chocolate (like an Oreo) cookie is filled with chunks of white chocolate (or substitute dark chocolate chips) and maraschino cherry pieces. I think both the taste and texture make the cookie delectable. Here is the recipe:

Black Forest Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar (I try to cut the sugar a tad without a resulting cookie failure😏)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons good cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt

1 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or chopped and feel free to substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips)

1) In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2) Next add the egg and vanilla and beat with the mixer.

3) In a 2nd bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in portions until just combined.

5) Mix in the white chocolate and maraschino cherries.

6) Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

7) Scoop the cookie dough (into tablespoon-size balls or globs) and deposit onto a buttered or parchment-lined prepared cookie sheet.

8) Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 9 - 11 minutes or until the edges set.

I like Black Forest Cookies even better than the cake. Delicious paired with a cup of milk or coffee. Down the hatch or freeze a batch!

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Artisan Beer Bread

This one I tossed in 1/2 cup of oatmeal instead of all the flour.

On the spur of the moment at the supermarket, I decided to come home and make a loaf of Beer Bread. Fresh baked bread is always appealing, as is trying something new, so the next step was to find the beer aisle. I bought a single can of Wolters Pilsener, a German beer for $1.50. The choices were either buy it; or a Russian can of beer; or a 6-pack of a familiar brand. I only wanted one can, and I don't think Russia is known for its beer ... or am I wrong? Moreover 45 loves Russia, or at least he loves Putin, but does Putin love us back? 'Tis dubious😳, so I went with German beer.🙂

Next I chose to use all-purpose* flour because I always have it at home, and simply add eggs instead of buying 5 pounds of bread flour (which is slightly higher in protein). I also like to add ground flax seed when not using whole wheat flour, but y0u can use bread* or whole wheat* flour in the recipe ... as all three types of flour work in making bread. (I leave flax seed out if using whole wheat, a denser flour.) Finally if you let the dough proof overnight, you won't have to kneed it. The flavor develops during the proofing process. Here is my recipe:

Artisan Beer Bread (for a large 2 pound loaf)

Ingredients
14 ounces beer (of your choice)
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour*↑ (+ extra for sprinkling.) Note: When I use all-purpose flour, I will use whole wheat flour for sprinkling to give the bread more fiber. At times I desire the lightness of all-purpose flour in baking, but do try to make the bread healthier by tossing in flax seed and use whole wheat flour for sprinkling to work with the dough. Life is about balance. Eating healthy 90% of the time, while enjoying treats 10% of the time keeps you healthy and happy!
1/2 - 3/4 cup ground flax seed (more or less)
a squirt of extra virgin olive oil (or butter)

Directions: 

1) Pour 14 ounces of room temperature beer into a bowl.

2) Toss in 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast and stir.

3) Add the salt (it fizzles) and mix.

4) I like to toss in 1/2 cup of the flour and next incorporate 2 eggs before mixing in the rest of the flour and ground flax seed. You can use the long handle end of a cooking spoon to incorporate the flour and ground flax seed to form a ball of dough. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl clean with a spatula. Let the dough sit to proof in the bowl.

5) Squirt a tad of olive oil on the top of the dough; cover with plastic wrap and and proof it in a warm spot in your kitchen. After 12 hours (overnight) or so, it doubles in size.

6) The next morning use the long handle of your cooking spoon to stir the air out of the dough. Sometimes I use a small spatula to help twirl and press the air out of the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough as needed. Work the dough by stirring a few times, not much is required. It should feel elastic and smell like yeast.

7) Next lay the dough into a well greased baking pan. Pull the dough long if you bake it in a large rectangle loaf pan, or leave the dough round if using a cast iron dutch over with a lid ... whichever you desire.

8) I butter the pan and top of the dough. After laying the dough in your greased loaf pan (or greased dutch oven), let it raise (i.e., proof) again for another 1 hour, or longer. (One hour minimum time. I let the bread double again in the pan.) You are now ready to bake the bread.

9) In a 400 degree F preheated oven, bake covered for 40 minutes and another 10 - 15 minutes uncovered to get a fluffy loaf of bread with a hard crusty top. In a loaf pan, I use aluminum foil as a cover before removing it at the end to let the top brown.

The finished bread is tasty with butter, or soup; and a 2-pound loaf makes nice sized slices for sandwiches too. To preserve the feshness of your loaf, slice and store in the freezer (not the refrigerator). You can remove slices from the freezer as needed. Enjoy!


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