Sesame Pretzel Rolls

Just last week I made this recipe for these pretzel rolls, and.. they really taste like pretzels…..regular standard pretzels, but with a chewy, appealing texture – my children were eating them, literally out of the oven!

So if you like pretzels, and you’re looking for an idea to shake things up a bit with your typical breads, this simple idea is for you. You can eat them plain or as bread for a sandwich, either way for best results serve them warm.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 Tbsp dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Place the yeast,water and sugar in the bowl of your mixer and wait for the yeast  to bubble.
2. Add the flour,salt and oil and mix well until a dough forms.
3. Cover the dough and  rise for one hour.
4. Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces and roll them into balls.
5. Place the balls on a lined cookie sheets, cover and allow to rise for another half hour.
6. Preheat oven to 425°F.
7. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a low boil.
8. Remove from heat and slowly add the baking soda.
9. Place the pot back on heat and simmer.
10. Place 3-4 of the rolls at a time into the pot.
11. Poach for 30 seconds and then carefully turn the roll over and poach for another 30 seconds.
12. Remove with a slotted spoon and put them back on the cookie sheet.
13. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
14. Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the beaten egg, making sure to coat all sides completely & then prinkle each roll with sesame seeds.
15. Using a sharp straight edged knife, cut an “X” shape in the top of each roll.
16. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.