Homemade soft pretzels are so much better than store-bought. You can shape them into traditional knot shapes or make cute little pretzel turtles like I did.
Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored. Mix the yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt and canola oil, and knead until combined (about 5 minutes).
Transfer the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it rest until double in size. Time needed depends on the temperature in your kitchen. We let our dough rise about an hour and a half.
When the dough has doubled in size, divide into 12 balls. Take one ball and roll it into a long strand. Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
After all 12 long strands are rolled out, take the first one and stretch it out again and twist it into a pretzel shape and place on the parchment paper. Repeat and finish the rest.
If you want to make turtle shapes, take one strand, and take off a small part of the strand, enough to make the tail, legs and head. With the rest of the strand, roll into a spiral shape. Then connect the head, tail and leg pieces. Use something dark to stick on the face piece for the eyes like black sesame seeds or chocolate chips.
Mix baking soda with hot water (close to boiling). Dip each pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the parchment paper. You can then sprinkle the pretzels with sea salt or cinnamon (for sweet pretzels).
Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F or until golden brown.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.