Mini Jumbo Pretzels

OK, I realize that the title leads to a bit of confusion, so let me explain myself. The original recipe was for jumbo soft pretzels, you know those huge ones you get at hockey or baseball games with the large salt crystals on them? Well, those seemed like too much of a commitment for a snack (for me at least), so I made them half the original intended size, hence the 'mini'!  This worked out awesome; I was able to get 16 pretzels out of the batch, and their size is perfect for a hardcore carb craving!


I found this recipe on joythebaker.com where there is also an awesome 'how-to' video for making these.  

The recipe was really easy to follow, and the outcome is amazing! The recipe originally makes 8 large soft pretzels, but I prefer the size of the pretzels when it is used to make 16. It is totally a personal preference though!

You can easily customize these based on what you have in your cupboard, or based on what you are craving that day.  


I sprinkled some of my pretzels with sesame seeds:

Some with coarse salt:

And the last few I topped with brown sugar and cinnamon, so that they were more of a sweet snack!

OK, I realize this isn't necessarily the most attractive pretzel, but it sure was tasty!

All three versions turned out delicious!  These pretzels have the perfect soft and chewy texture, I am not even going to tell you how many I ate the first day.


Mini Jumbo Pretzels

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (I used hot water from the tap)
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or one package)
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• sesame seeds, salt, seasoning salt, etc for toppings

1. Mix together the warm water and sugar, then sprinkle the yeast on top
2. Let this sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to foam.  If the yeast has produced no foam, then discard and start again
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt
4. Carefully add the water/yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until a dough forms (I had to use my hands for most of the mixing)
5. Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 - 10 minutes (or until very elastic)
6. Place the ball of dough into the bowl, cover, and let rise for about 45 minutes (or until the dough has doubled in size).  My kitchen was quite warm and it only took 35 minutes.
7. While the dough is rising, cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and then spray the parchment paper with cooking spray
8. After the dough has risen, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces, and set aside
9. Take the first piece of dough, and roll it into a rope about 12 - 15 inches long (If you are making the regular jumbo pretzels, cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a rope that is approximately 24 inches long)
10. Twist the dough rope into a pretzel, and place onto a prepared baking sheet
11. Repeat with the remaining 15 (or 7) pieces of dough
12. Once all pretzels are formed, let them stand for about 20 minutes
13. While the pretzels are setting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and preheat your oven to 425 F
14. When the pretzels are ready to be boiled, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of baking soda into the water
15. Drop 4 - 5 pretzels into the water at a time, and let them boil for 45 seconds to a minute. Flip each pretzel, and let the other side boil for 45 seconds to a minute as well (If you are making the regular jumbo pretzels, boil for about 1.5 minutes/side)
16. Remove the pretzels from the pot, and place back onto the baking sheet
17. Repeat until all pretzels have been boiled
18. Whisk the egg in a small bowl, and then lightly brush each pretzel with a bit of the egg wash
19. Sprinkle the toppings of your choice onto each pretzel, then bake until golden brown
20. My 'mini jumbo' pretzels took about 20 minutes to bake, and the original recipe states that the regular sized pretzels will take about 35 minutes to bake
21. Enjoy!