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The virtue of pretzels, especially free pretzels
Published: 2/22/2012 12:06 PM
Last Modified: 2/22/2012 12:06 PM


By Cory Young

Few can deny the draw of a soft pretzel straight from the oven. Sprinkle them with sea salt, and it does not get much better.

Pretzels also have a historical significance during the Lenten season due to their shape and ingredients. Their shape was said to symbolize arms crossed in prayer and the ingredients used to bake the original pretzels did not violate any fasting restrictions.

I found a no-fail recipe recently for making soft pretzels. The secret to get that rich, brown color is to boil them in water containing baking soda before basting them with egg and baking them.

I have included the recipe below, as well as some other recipes for Lenten foods that didn’t make the paper today.

And if you don’t feel like making them, Auntie Anne’s is giving away two flavors of pretzels on March 3.

On that day, Auntie Anne’s expects to give away one million of those freshly-baked pretzels during its nationwide Free Pretzel Day event.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., everyone who visits their local Auntie Anne’s store will receive one complimentary Original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel, the company’s two most popular flavors.

Free Pretzel Day also provides the opportunity to introduce guests to Auntie Anne’s new national charitable partner, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). Throughout 2012, Auntie Anne’s will work with this nonprofit organization, which is committed to raising money and awareness of childhood cancer causes.

In Tulsa, there are Auntie Anne’s locations at the Promenade Mall, 41st Street and Yale Ave., and Woodland Hills Mall, 71st Street and Memorial Drive.


Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse sea salt

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

3. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

4. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- from FoodNetwork.com, by Alton Brown


Here is a Lenten recipe from a local church cookbook...

Lenten Health Cake
This recipe has ingredients similar to those used in Hot Crossed Buns, which are also a traditional Lenten food with glaze crosses on top.
1 1/2 cups oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 pounds flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup white raisins, dates or dried mixed fruit
1/2 cups chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all wet ingredients into a bowl and mix together, best done by hand and not in a mixer.

2. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Pour straight into oiled Pyrex dish and bake for about one hour.
- from Cooking Greek for Tulsa 50th Anniversary Edition, recipe by Efi Chatzigiannidis


Here is a recipe for a unique fish dish...

Farfalle with Salmon and Leeks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds leeks, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces, and washed thoroughly
salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, 1 1/4 inches thick
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound farfalle

1. Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Season salmon with salt and pepper and nestle into skillet. Add wine, cover, and cook until salmon is just cooked through, about 6 minutes.

2. Transfer salmon to plate and cover to keep warm. Stir cream into skillet and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and cover.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and salmon, along with any accumulated juice, and toss gently to combine, breaking salmon into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve.
- adapted from Pasta Revolution, by America’s Test Kitchen





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Food Writer Nicole Marshall Middleton joined the Tulsa World in May 1993 after graduating from Oklahoma State University. She has covered crime, city government and general assignment beats during that time - but mostly crime. But when she isn’t at work, Nicole is a devoted food hobbyist. She enjoys meal planning and cooking with her husband, Steve, every day of the week and on holidays it’s a family affair. When the opportunity to become the food writer at the Tulsa World presented itself in the summer of 2011, Nicole jumped at it. She is excited to explore a new side of Tulsa and make the transition from crime to cuisine. .

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