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:
- 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.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook combine flour, sugar, and salt.
- Knead in the melted butter and yeast mixture until smooth and dough clings to the dough hook.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise one hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bring 2 1/2 Qt water and baking soda to a boil.
- Divide pretzel dough into twelve balls.
- 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.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Steps for caramel:
- 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.
- Stir in vanilla and cook another 2 minutes.
- 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!
Pretzels and caramel all in one day! You were really brave and that courage was rewarded. Gorgeous little pretzel rolls and wonderful sauce, Lauren!
Thanks! This sauce is perfect with apples too. 🙂
I’m pretty sure I’d have to hide all of the spoons if I made this caramel sauce. And probably the butter knifes, too. And the straws. 😉 The delicious pretzels would have to be my only means of transport to my mouth. So good!
Haha!!! Apples work well too 😉
So glad you enjoyed them! Your pretzels look delicious! I will definitely need to try them with the caramel.
Stuart wants me to make a bread pudding out of these last few.
Kudos to you for making homemade caramel to go with your pretzels!
Thanks 🙂
Perfect caramel recipe, love it!
I only half regret not making caramel. If I had, I would have had caramel to eat by. Thanks both good and bad.
Oh my wow, love the caramel sauce to dip them in!
It’s great for fruit too!