Soft Beer Pretzels

The office celebrated Diversity Day yesterday by having an international lunch.  My group was assigned Europe, so I decided it was a good time to try these soft pretzels I had bookmarked.  (Why do I always take on the most challenging tasks when they're for the public?)  This was my second attempt at soft pretzels.  The first one, a King Arthur Flour recipe, is posted here.

I have three pretzel recipes bookmarked, and the basic recipe for all three is exactly the same, except for the salt quantity.  (This one had the least amount.) The dough was nice, but I added a bit of extra water and it ended up sticky, which caused problems with handling.  The pretzels stuck to my fingers, ruining their shape.  Allowing them to dry a bit helped, but perhaps better to use oiled hands.

They did not rise much prior to boiling, nor was there much oven spring.  The bulk of the rise happened during the boiling, where they became VERY delicate (often breaking during turning), developed a rough texture, and sometimes cracked, but never achieved that lacquered finish one expects.  They baked 12 minutes, and that was perhaps a little long, although they didn't become very brown.  I used a greased baking sheet rather than parchment, and there was trouble with them sticking – the longer they sat on the sheet after boiling, the more they stuck.  (I've heard from others that parchment does not eliminate the sticking problem.)  The key is to boil them just prior to baking so they don't have a chance to slurry themselves to the baking sheet, which means finessing the timing. Another thought is that boiling isn't even necessary -- the King Arthur Flour recipe requires only soaking in the baking soda solution.

Here's what I used:

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) yeast
1/4 teaspoon (2g) salt
2 teaspoons (9g) sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) warm water
3/4 cup (180ml) beer
3 2 cups (500 330g) flour
1 cup (170g) bread flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (32g) butter, softened

For the bath:
1/4 cup (50 grams) baking soda
Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Combine the yeast, salt, sugar in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Add the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and cayenne pepper. Cut the softened butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beer to the yeast mixture (it will foam) and stir briefly to combine. Add the liquid to the flour and mix until the dough comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Leave on the counter covered with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil the paper. Divide the dough into 32 pieces, keeping the unrolled pieces covered with plastic while you work. Roll one ball into a 12-inch-long rope. Form a U shape and twist the ends together twice. Fold the twisted part backward onto the center of U shape to form a circle. Gently press the ends of the rope onto the dough to seal.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough. Let rise for 20 minutes. While you wait, preheat the oven to 475 and fill your largest pot with at least 5 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil. (Ideally, this will take about 20 minutes as well.)

When the pretzels have risen and the water is boiling, add the baking soda and gently transfer as many pretzels that will fit comfortably to the bath. Cook for a minute on each side, drain well, and return to the baking sheet.

               

Boiled on the left.  Unboiled on the right.

Ready for the oven.

     
Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm with mustard.  Makes 32 3-4" pretzels.

Conclusion:  I'm going to need a lot of practice.  These were good, but did not turn out as expected.  This recipe has promise, but something in the technique went wrong.  The beer gave a slightly bitter taste that wasn't especially beer-like (I used Fosters) and the chili was undetectable. To make 32, I used 20 oz of dough for each; I think 25-30 oz would be better, as the thick spots in the pretzels were nicer.  (Compared to the photos of the originals, my ropes might have been too long as well.)  They did not keep well, becoming stale and tough within a day.  But in the end, they got eaten and even complimented, so they weren't a complete failure.

Recipe:  Pretz-ales via butter me up, Brooklyn!

Espresso Spice Pumpkin Muffins

I really want this pumpkin cakelet pan that I've been eyeing for months, but my better sense tells me it's too much of a uni-tasker to warrant the storage space needed in my tiny kitchen.  I compromised with two mini-Bundt cakelet pans, which are more versatile, and were on sale.  (You really need two cakelet pans of any sort to bake a standard recipe, and they're EXPENSIVE!!)  I thought I could use this pan to make pumpkin muffins shaped like, well, pumpkins. That was the vision, anyway.  (See my little cream cheese frosting stems?   Ehem.)  Okay, so they don't look like pumpkins.  They're still charming.

This recipe caught my attention because of the espresso powder.  I thought it might add a deeper flavor, somewhat roasty.  They sounded very sweet, though, so I cut the sugar.  I didn't use the topping since the cakelets would be turned upside down.

Here's what I used:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 ¼ 2/3 cup brown granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp butter, melted or very soft
1/4 cup milk (any kind)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly grease and flour two cakelet pans, about 18 depressions, (or a 12-cup muffin tin.)  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and spices.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and molasses together until well blended. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, followed by butter and the spice mixture.  Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture, mixing just until everything is combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.  Divide batter evenly into prepared cakelet or muffin cups, filling cakelet depressions only about 2/3 full. Top generously with sugar topping mixture, if using.  Bake for 12-14 minutes for cakelets (18-20 minutes for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Top cakelets decoratively (but generously -- use more than I did) with cream cheese frosting.  Yield:  about 17 cakelets.

Cinnamon Espresso Sugar Mixture
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle generously over muffin batter before baking.

Don't be stingy with the cream cheese -- use more than this.

Conclusion:  These were a nice, modest pumpkin muffin.  The coffee was not a noticeable flavor but I think was a good add, and the spices were just right.  The reduced sugar quantity made them less decadent -- suitable for breakfast -- but if you want something more rich use more sugar.  I baked the cakelets 15-16 minutes, but they were a bit dry, so 12-14 minutes would probably have been adequate.  They also domed a lot, so maybe not the best recipe for the cakelet pan anyway.  (Maybe reduce the temperature??)  I want to try them again as standard muffins with the espresso topping to see if it adds any distinction to the overall flavor.  This is a good, easy, go-to pumpkin muffin recipe.

Recipe:  Espresso Spice Pumpkin Muffins via Baking Bites

October ABC Challenge: Cinnamon Apple & Cheddar Twist Bread

I'm always a little confused when someone says a baked item tastes "just like store bought!"  I realize it's supposed to be a compliment, but when did that shift happen?  When did commercial products, with all their additives and imitation flavorings, surpass homemade?  And yet, my first response to this loaf was, "It tastes like store bought."  

To me, this is not a good thing.  In this case, though, the pure apple flavor was noticeably real and not out of a bottle, which set this loaf above any store product.  The two things that did it in were 1) the princess cake flavor, and 2) the texture.  It still was a hit at work.  One coworker's response was, 

"I just had an epiphany. I think when someone says 'store bought' in terms of baked goods, what they really mean to say is 'professional'. Huge difference. That bread was amazing. It had a professional texture and crumb and I totally tasted the cheese, just the right amount. That was great!"

I bought something called "princess cake flavoring" a while ago, not knowing what it was.  I was curious.  Now I realize it's what gives store-bought pastries their distinctive store-bought taste -- something I could never before identify.  It's not necessarily a bad taste -- sort of a mild lemony-vanilla -- but I associate it with Entenmann's and other doughy, overly sweet products, so I'm not a fan.  

Which brings me to the texture... I would call it "spongy".  Had I not baked it myself, I would have thought it had artificial texturizers in it.  Many people like that soft, squishy texture, but to me it's unnatural.  But with all that being said, I nonetheless harfed down half the loaf in one sitting!  I have to admit there is something addictive about that spongy softness!

I halved the recipe to make a single loaf, so those are the quantities shown here.  Then I made a few personal changes, shown in italics and strikeout.  I changed out the glaze completely and used a lot less of it because I don't generally like pouring what amounts to liquid sugar all over my hard work. Those quantities are approximate, as I was just winging it and tasting along the way.

Here's what I used:

Dough
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
5/8 cup bread flour
1/4 cup (1½ ounces) potato flour OR 1/4 cup dried potato flakes
1 heaping tablespoon (1/2 ounce) granular lecithin (optional)
1½ tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
5/8 teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla Princess Cake Flavor
1/2 large egg
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons cornstarch unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peeled, grated apple
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Glaze
1/2 cup 2+ tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1+ tablespoon heavy cream

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter, flavoring, egg, and milk, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes; it should feel slightly sticky and soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the dough feels firm or dry. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Before assembling the bread, toss the grated apples with the sugar mixture and mix well.  Gently deflate the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured or greased work surface. Fold it over once or twice to remove the excess gas. Roll the dough into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2-inch margin clear of filling along all sides.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Looks like a pizza.  Ha!

Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge. Transfer the log to a sheet of parchment paper or a well-greased baking sheet.  Cut the log in half lengthwise. Keeping the filling side up, twist the two halves together, working from the center to each end. Pinch the ends together. Cover the twist lightly and set aside to rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Just before baking.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the loaves after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if it's browning too quickly around the edges. (I rotated after 12 minutes and baked for a total of 25.)  Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for about 1 hour before glazing and serving.  Mix together all of the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over the loaf once it's cool.


Conclusion:  I'm not sure I'd make this again.  It was good, but fussy to make and not sure it's worth all that trouble.  The apple mixture is too wet for this style of bread and so you can't use much of it, while I think the loaf could have used more filling.  It's not terribly sweet, which is fine because you could serve it with some of the richer breakfast items.  I would have liked a much applier-cheesier filling, something more streusely.  The bread recipe is a good one to remember, though, for when you want a very soft white loaf.  (Maybe for monkey bread!)

Recipe:  Cinnamon Apple Twist Bread via King Arthur Flour