My first thought when I think about a soft pretzel is the middle school version of myself at Mount Berry Square Mall on a Friday night. Prior to my deep dive into Lent I was totally oblivious to the connection of pretzels to Church history.

The soft pretzel was invented by Catholic monks in the seventh century specifically for the season of Lent. Its simple ingredients of flour, salt, and water became a traditional snack when most congregants fasted from meat, dairy, & eggs. It’s origins draw symbolism from the iconic twist of the pretzel to that of one’s hands folded in prayer.

I had never made soft pretzels before and wanted to try a simple recipe. (This recipe is perfect because it only has to rise for 10 minutes!) My sous-chef-toddler and I enjoyed kneading, rolling, shaping, dunking, and baking our pretzels. At the bottom of this post you’ll find intentional discipleship talking points to discuss with your children during your prep and bake time!

•  Prep Time: 25 minutes
•  Cook Time: 15 minutes
•  Total Time: 40 minutes
•  Yield: 12 pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm– no need to take temperature but around 100°F (38°C) is great)
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool
• 3 and 3/4-4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
• coarse salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Baking Soda Bath

• 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
• 9 cups (2,160ml) water

Instructions

1. Whisk the yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attached to stand mixer) until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 6.)
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
4. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections (about 75g each).
5. Roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
6. Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 7.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and serve.
9. Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.

Our family enjoyed these so much that we plan to make a Jalapeño Asiago cheese pretzel version next! We hope to continue making soft pretzels together each year during the season of Lent.

Discipleship Talking Points:

Pretzels are twisted to look like hands that are praying!

• Q: What is prayer? A: talking to God
• Q: Why do we pray? A: God speaks to us through His Word. We talk to God through prayer.
• Q: When can we pray? A: All the time!
• Q: What is something we could talk to God about today?
• Q: How should we pray? A: Matthew 6:9-13

Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”

Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)

The 5 finger prayer guide can help children understand the scope of what we can bring before God in prayer! Along with this, you could even make a prayer jar full of people or circumstances to pray for with your children. Every night at bedtime we ask our two year old what his favorite toy to play with that day was, and then we thank God for the things He has given us.

We as parents are the first and most impactful example of the power of prayer in our families day-to-day lives. How we invite our children into these everyday moments displays to them the truth and our need of the Gospel everyday!