Skip to main content

Featured

A Closer Look at Winter Damage

But first, take a look at this gorgeous rainbow that we had on Friday! The five-day stretch of warm temperatures last week really jump-started the garden. Now that plants are putting out new growth, it is easier to see what kind of damage the winter left. Back in mid-January, we experienced five straight days of below-freezing temperatures. This caused much damage in Portland and areas where frigid winds were a factor. Here, we were fortunate to not get the wind and the cold temperatures were dampened by a blanket of snow. That said, it was a tough time for the garden and there are noticeable casualties but no outright deaths that I have seen. The bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red') did not like the cold at all. It was planted six years ago, in the north-facing garden no less, and I've not experienced die-back on it until now. A local expert said to cut it all the way back so that is what I did. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too distraught. It is

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

Post a Comment

Popular Posts