This month’s #FoodieExtravaganza is celebrating Pretzels! The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient into recipes to share with you. But in this case, our host Lauren of From Gate to Plate also suggested a bonus ingredient of caramel.

I’ve always been afraid of making pretzels. Yes, I’ve featured a pretzel recipe on Sew You Think You Can Cook before, but it didn’t involve the boiling on baking soda water step. This time, I wanted to do a more traditional recipe. I turned to my friend Tara’s blog Tara’s Multicultural Table and picked between her pretzel rolls and her pretzel bread. Now that Tara and I have both left the Florida panhandle for different parts of the country I won’t get to sample her baking! This means I’m going to have to make it myself! Cue the crying and whining.

With a secondary ingredient of caramel, I knew I wanted to make a dipping sauce so I made Tara’s rolls. These turned out great! Mine aren’t as pretty as hers are, but they’re just as delicious.

Adding to my list of new kitchen endeavors, I’d also never made caramel! I’ve melted prepared caramel candies before, but this time I started from brown sugar. I know there are more complicated version of making caramel, but this easy one from The Pioneer Woman was a great place to start.

Pretzel Rolls with Caramel Dipping Sauce

Ingredients for rolls:

• 1 1/2 C warm (105-115 degrees F) water
• 1 pkt (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 C flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 Qt water
• 2/3 C baking soda
• egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water)

Ingredients for caramel:

• 1 C packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 4 tbsp butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Steps for rolls:

1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water. Let sit one minute before stirring gently to combine. Set aside ten minutes, until yeast water mixture is frothy.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook combine flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Knead in the melted butter and yeast mixture until smooth and dough clings to the dough hook.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise one hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Bring 2 1/2 Qt water and baking soda to a boil.
7. Divide pretzel dough into twelve balls.
8. Boil pretzel dough balls one at a time for 15 seconds on each side. Remove to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Cut two slits in each roll.
9. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Steps for caramel:

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter. Once butter melts cook stirring constantly for 8 minutes until thick.
2. Stir in vanilla and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Let cool before placing in a jar and keeping in refrigerator.

*The pretzel recipe is adapted from Tara at http://www.tarasmulticulturaltable.com/silserli-swiss-pretzel-rolls/ and the caramel recipe is adapted from Ree at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/easy-caramel-sauce-recipe.html *

Be sure to check out these other pretzel recipes:

Apple Cinnamon Pretzels with Creamy Caramel Dip  from Rebekah at Making Miracles

Apple Pie Stuffed Pretzel Bites with Caramel Dipping Sauce from Lauren at From Gate to Plate

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Pretzels from Cindy at Cindy’s Recipes and Writing

Caramel Apple Pretzels from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm

Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Chili Cheese Pretzel Bites from Ashley at The Recipe Rebel

Cinnamon Raisin Soft Pretzels from Heather at girlichef

Hopped Up Pretzel Bites with Beer-Gouda Dip from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Marble Chocolate Dipped Pretzels  from Marissa at Rae Gun Ramblings

Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Bites from Emily at It Bakes Me Happy

Soft Pumpkin Pretzels from Alexis at We Like to Learn as We Go

Soft Pretzel Cinnamon and Sugar Sticks from Ashlee at Ashlee Marie

Sourdough Pretzels from Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Spicy Cheddar and Jalapeño Pretzel Bites from Kimberly at Rhubarb and Honey

Sun Dried Tomatoes and Cheese Soft Pretzels from Rachael from Eazy Peazy Mealz

 

We hope you all enjoy the delicious ways we made our pretzels and be sure to come to see what next month’s new ingredient is.

If you would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!