The Gypsy Caravan 2023

Friday, January 19, 2024

Making Pretzels with Barb and Kate

(I meant to post this last spring when we did this and I'm not sure what happened! So... step into my friend Barb's kitchen for a fun day of pretzel making -- and a link to the recipe!) 

I'm so glad my friend Barb loves to teach us new things! When she asked if we wanted to learn to make soft pretzels, do you think I hesitated for a second? Of course not! 


So, it was off to her home, where the first thing we saw entering was this!


What a fabulous table of "snacks!" After a glass of iced tea on the deck, listening to the neverending birdsong, we made up our dough and after kneading it together, shaped it into a ball. Time to cover and let rise! And that meant time to "snack!"


On to shaping the pretzels -- one shapes the dough into an eight inch (or so) log and cuts in half, then each half in sixths. 


Covering most of the dough to keep it from drying out, you work with one pretzel at a time, rolling it out to a 24 inch rope.


(To do this, you have to smack the dough rope onto the counter, over and over, beating it into submission!)


The dip it into a solution of baking soda mixed with water (and well dissolved).


Then shape onto a sprayed parchment sheet. Top with salt and do it again!


When done, you have six beautifully browned pretzels, perfect for dipping into one of the four dips Barb prepared -- chocolate, butterscotch, cheese and honey mustard.


It was a super day -- and oh, so good! And not hard at all.

 

The recipe is available here. It's not hard and loads of fun -- hope you give it a try!

Sharing with:   Love Your Creativity     /   Share Your Style  /   Rain's Art and Dinner Date  

65 comments:

  1. This looks fun and delicious! You and your friends know how to have a good time.

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  2. ...your pretzels look great, I'll be by later today to have one!

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  3. This looks like fun, Jeanie, and I have !ready printed the recipe to try on the next bad weather day, which may be coming soon enough here in NH.

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  4. How fun! They look delicious too

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  5. Looks so yummy! Makes me hungry...

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  6. Hello,
    The pretzels look delicious, I used to love pretzels with cinnamon sugar.
    The chocolate dip sounds yummy. Thanks for sharing. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend!

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  7. Looks delicious! Yum. I like those snacks, too, enough to feed 2 more guests. I love it all.

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  8. Oh, these look all look good, I'm sure I can smell them baking! Hugs,Valerie

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  9. First off I want to come to Barb's house for the afternoon. What a nice spread and a lovely table setting. Ohhh the pretzles turned out perfectly. What a fun post to share with FFO, thank you. Have a lovely weekend.

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  10. Making pretzels sounds like a lot of fun Jeanie! What a fun day!
    Jenna

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  11. Fun! And they look really good! I've never heard of eating sweet sauces (chocolate or butterscotch) with a pretzel. I'm an old-fashioned mustard guy. :)

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  12. Pretzels are fun to make and so tasty. I can't believe you've never made them before this party.

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  13. These look so good. I have a pretzel maker that I planned to use with my grandbaby. I might have to break it out soon.

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  14. So far, I haven't liked pretzels of any kind, but I would be interested to at least have a bite of these.

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  15. Those pretzels look incredible! I haven't made any in years...it's time! lol Thanks for the recipe!

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  16. I only know the hard, boring, salty ones you get here in Germany...
    Hmmmmm, cheese sounds good!

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  17. Your pretzels look amazing! How yummy to have a fresh pretzel straight out of the oven. And your friend's spread looks delicious, Jeanie!

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  18. Oh those look good. And what a 'snack'spread.

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  19. Those look delicious! I'm going to try to make them, though my idea of easy and someone else's idea of easy are often different.

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  20. Baking is fun when you do it with others. Those home made pretzels look delicious.

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  21. Those look delicious! What a fun time you had Jeanie. Barb certainly but out a wonderful buffet too.

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  22. I would have jumped at the chance too what a great way for friends to spend time together, the pretzels look so delicious.. I must give this a go.
    Happy 2024 & creative Hugs Tracey x

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  23. We spent the morning at the mall out of desperation to walk around without freezing …. so of course we smelled the pretzels in the pretzel shop. Making one’s own sounds much more appealing.
    best, mae at maefood.blogapot.com

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  24. They look really sweet and yummy.

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  25. As someone who comes from the "cradle" of the Brezel (as it's called in German) I think these ones look pretty good, Jeanie. I would never eat them with chocolate, butterscotch or honey mustard, but with some butter they probably would be almost perfect. I do miss really good Brezeln!

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  26. Looks such a fun day and the pretzels look great.

    All the best Jan

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  27. Those pretzels look really good.
    Your explanation is easy to follow.

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  28. It been ages since I made pretzels. I think last time I made them. My sons was stilling living at home.

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  29. What fun, Jeanie! I'm so glad that you shared this event and recipe. Beating the dough into submission sounds like a great way to subdue some frustration. Your friend Barb certainly knows how to host a good time! Take care!

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  30. How fun to have friends teaching friends crafts and skills. Pretzels are such breadmaking artistry! I loved seeing all the pretzels when we visited Alsace in France. That snack spread reminded me of the way my mother used to entertain.

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  31. These look delicious. Why did you dip them in baking soda in water? I've never made pretzels, but it does look like fun, especially when you get to do it with friends and good snacks too. hugs-Erika

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  32. Jeanie,
    Looks like a lot of fun and they look so yummy too!!
    I hope it is warm where you are..Not supposed to get out of the teens tomorrow but a warm up next week is on the horizon!! I hope you have a great weekend!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  33. They look really good! The hardest part might be the smacking the dough on the counter. I can't picture that, really. But it might be fun! :)

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  34. I have made some and so has one of my girls..so stinkin good.Barbette's Feast:) Wow.
    I agree you make the most out of life:)

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  35. Soft pretzels are one of my favorite things in the whole world to eat. Lol. I love this! I will have to try it. It looks like you guys had a fabulous time!

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  36. Oh my! Thanks for sharing! Beside being a fun day with friends, those pretzels look amazing. I love soft pretzels in dips and these I know would be so good. Yummm!

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  37. When in high school, I used to work during summer vacation at a big bagel and pretzel bakery. It still stands there , owned by the second and third generations. It's more industrialized, but but high quality stuff is produced. I never developed a special liking for these baked goodies.

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  38. Does that ever take me back! I used to make these with my kids, and they'd make up their own shapes.

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  39. I love soft pretzels. They were plentiful when I was growing up and Philadelphia. They sold them on the street corners in town. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Enjoy your weekend

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  40. How fun and so yummy. My husband loves pretzels. I will definitely give these a try. Happy weekend.❤️

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  41. HAHA>..I have never made those! I might have to give that a try, since I make bread, I should be able to handle this! I love that you have such connections that y'all get together and do things. Leaving Hermitage and moving the BFE was hard. Yes, I love being closer to my daughter and grands/great grands but leaving friends, it was hard. If we get past this SNOW and ice we have out here I might be able to drop weights since I am not going out to eat with Theresa all the time...

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  42. oh my these look delicious and so addictive! What a fun afternoon!

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  43. Wow ! they came out great- Did you ever make them again? It must of been fun doing it with friends and enjoying some company and snacks together.

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  44. What a great project to make with friends! And Barb sounds like a lovely and very generous host as well -- that's a beautiful "snack" table!

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  45. How wonderful to make homemade pretzels Jeanie! They look so big and filling and scrumptious. The sauces look really good to dip them in, especially the butterscotch sauce. Your post hit home for me today, as I just got back from the home shop in town, and I picked up some white creme and peppermint pretzels. They were a little pricey, but oh, so Yummy.

    Have a restful Sunday, dear Jeanie.

    ~Sheri

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  46. Making pretzels sounds like a lot of fun Jeanie!
    And they look amazing! 😋

    Hugs and blessings

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  47. The pretzels looked delish, and so did the snacks. How nice to make homemade ones and enjoy eating them right away. Janice

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  48. Your pretzels look delicious. What a fun time!

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  49. That sounds like such a fun and delicious day!

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  50. I'm late and was already hungry. NOW I am starving. Your snacks have me wanting to stop and get something very unhealthy to eat. Those pretzels turned out beautiful. Thanks for sharing them and the recipe, too.

    Sorry I'm late visiting. High winds knocked my electric out. Nothing worked. Even my heater and hot water heater have electric starts, so the cats and I huddled under blankets until the heat came back on. Hope it's warmer where you are.

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  51. Maybe I am suppose to make pretzels this is the third time today I have seen pretzels made lol.
    looks like lots of fun and yummy
    Cathy

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  52. Why haven't I tried making these - maybe now I will!

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  53. Jeanie, this looks like fun! I would want to dip my pretzels in the chocolate. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I am sorry I am late!

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  54. Your snack table looks like an offering of delicious treats. I'd be in even without the pretzels :)

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  55. Jeanie, how fun to make pretzels with your friends. The pretzels look good and I bet tasted delicious. I love that snack table too.
    Thanks so much for your visits to my blog and reading and commenting on my trip to London with my daughter. We had such a nice time and I would love to go back again sometime. Take care and have a nice week.

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  56. Oh such fun. They look delicious.

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  57. What great fun! I would love to try the recipe soon!

    Your posts are so inviting, and your photos are perfect illustrations. Thanks for all you come up with to share.

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  58. Yum! These look so delicious! What a fun project for all of you!

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  59. That looks like it was a fun day! Still need to learn how to make pretzels. Here in Southern Germany they are like a kind of religion. *LOL*

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  60. Jeanie, what a great time you all had!!! Barb outdid herself with the snacks... :)' I have NEVER thought of dipping pretzels into chocolate! The other goodies, yes. Can't wait to inform my pretzel-partner-in-crime-daughter of this faux pas. ;) We must remedy this soon!

    Happily sharing your pretzel adventures on SYS #416 tomorrow morning for you,
    Warm hugs,
    Barb :)

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