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May Trees

Redbud 'Flame Thrower' (Cercis canadensis) As May comes to an end, I thought I would share some trees that look good now.  First, the insanely beautiful 'Flame Thrower' redbud. I always hesitate to praise this tree because of their finicky nature. So far, so good on this one which is near our front door.  Snowbell and 'Wolf's Eyes' Dogwood in the background The Snowbell tree ( Styrax japonica ) has been spectacular for many weeks. I was up on the roof of the garden shed this morning and got an aerial view of it. It looks so much larger from above. The blooms are so heavy that the branches are bending down. A few years ago, I recall standing underneath it and the roar from bees buzzing around it was deafening. Last week, I was saddened to hear no bees at all. Fortunately, there are some a week later but not nearly as many as in the past. On the opposite side is 'Wolf's Eye' Dogwood ( Cornus kousa ) which always delivers. This is a small dogwood c...

Homemade Pretzels


I haven't made homemade pretzels since we were in Alabama and I had forgotten how easy they are if not a little time consuming. I made these last week for Oscar night. They keep a long time in an airtight container.

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
    1 tablespoons brown sugar
    teaspoons salt
    1 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees)
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup bread flour
    2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
    2 tablespoons baking soda
    1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
    2 tablespoons kosher salt

Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1.5 cups of warm water. Stir to dissolve.

Stir in the flour. Knead for about 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise for an hour (I place mine in the oven with the light on).




Combine the two cups of warm water with the baking soda in a square shallow pan.

After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 equal pieces. 





Roll each section into a thin 3-feet rope.




Twist the dough into a pretzel shape and dip it in the water and baking soda mixture.



Place on the parchment covered baking sheets and let it rise another 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450.

Bake the pretzels for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Those look really good. Are they crunchy or bread-y?

    I bought an authentic baguette pan and have been making baguettes--the pan made all the difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These are soft pretzels. I've never made baguettes.

      Delete
  2. My son used to make these all the time when he was in school. It's time to try them again. Thanks for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness, I was practically drooling over this post. I love soft pretzels!

    ReplyDelete

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