In Perth, you can go to the shops and buy a bread pretzel for $4.80. If you want a cheese and bacon pretzel, I think they are $5.40 or something like that. A bit expensive if you ask me.

Sooo, if I were to buy 1 pretzel for each of my 3 children, it would cost me around $15!

I looked up the recipe and made my own pretzels this afternoon. It was super easy. Baking with yeast is NOT scary at all. I even modified the recipe to make it even easier (it asked for bread flour, which I have NONE).

My little blobs of pretzel dough!

Ready for the oven.

My plain pretzels. The bready smell is DIVINE!

My cheese pretzels. Soooo soft and tasty, with a bit of crunch on the outside. YUM!

So when the kids come home from school, they can nom on some hot and freshly baked pretzels. I am so awesome.

Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients
Makes 12

• 2 teaspoons of dried yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (375ml) warm water
• 4 ½ cups (590g) plain flour

• 2 cups (500ml) warm water
• 1 ½ tablespoons bicarb soda

• 30g butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Method

Preparation: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 10 -15 minutes

1. Dissolve the yeast, sugar and salt in 1 ½ cups of warm water, into a large mixing bowl.

2. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, for about 5 minutes.

3. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with cling wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour.

4. In a 20 cm square pan, combine 2 cups warm water and bicarb soda.

5. After the dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 30cm rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the bicarb soda solution.

6. Place on baking paper covered baking trays, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Bake at 230C for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.