This week’s activity is a family go-to. We’ve been making homemade pretzels for years, with it being an activity my sisters and I grew up doing together with our mother. The pretzel dough acts similarly to play dough, allowing for a variety of creations to ensue. While Kinsley and I kept our designs pretty simple, you can get surprisingly detailed with your pretzel sculptures. From making flowers, animals to letters and shapes, the options are endless. As for the pretzels themselves, you can also add toppings if you desire! Some ideas include cheese, butter, or garlic for savory and brown sugar, cinnamon, or chocolate for sweet. We usually stick to fairly traditional, however if you have a fun ingredient, throw it in there! It’s always fun to change it up and experiment with toppings and designs ☺
Now, for the pretzel making!
Ingredients:
- 1 package yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 cups flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1-2 tablespoons of course salt (or regular salt)
Directions:
- Measure warm water into large mixing bowl
- Sprinkle in your yeast and then stir. It took us about 30 seconds of mixing
- Add salt, sugar, and flour. Takes 3-4 cups of flour, stop when dough is no longer sticky
- Mix and knead dough
- Provide a small ball of dough for each kiddo, allowing them to roll and twist their dough into letters, numerals, animals, and other things. Add more flour to dough if it starts gets sticky while creating
- Grease cookie sheets or cover with parchment paper
- Lay twisted pretzels on cookie sheets
- Brush pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt
- Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown
And that’s it. Good luck with your pretzel creations!
All photos by Hannah Pomante
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog belong solely to the Spokane Art School Artist-in-Residence, and not necessarily to the Spokane Art School.
Special thanks to Washington Trust Bank for sponsoring this video series.
