When my husband and I were only married a few years we decided to move to Miami, Florida with our young son. We thought it would be a wonderful way of life, having beautiful sunny days. We also made the move because my brother and sister-in-law lived there with my two nieces. Since we are so close with them, I was excited to do holidays with them and watch my nieces grow up.

When we first moved down there, my sister-in-law Shelley,(the same Shelley famous for her brisket, chicken, and barley on my blog) told me that I should host Thanksgiving, and she would host the other holidays. I think I went into shock. My husband and I had lived in New York city for 5 years. I worked three jobs and he worked full time as well. Who had time to cook? I think I used my oven one time during those five years. Seriously. I knew nothing about cooking!

Further than that, Shelley and her mom, Julia, were amazing cooks. Julia also lived in Florida and would be celebrating all the holidays with us. I was in a full panic. How could I possibly prepare a meal for the two best cooks I know, when I had never cooked one before?

I am not sure how I did it. Maybe Shelley and her mom were merely being nice (they are always lovely), but I got high praises from them, and they made feel like they really enjoyed it. Little did we know that cooking would become a passion of mine!

It just goes to show, there is a first time for everything. Which brings me to this recipe, which was another first for me. I have never made bread before. Why? Because it just seems so intimidating.I didn’t think this recipe would be so hard, so I gave it a try. As it turns out, it was fairly easy. I had a candy thermometer to make sure the water-yeast mix was heated correctly which worked perfectly. You have to knead it for 8 to 10 minutes, but that really wasn’t bad, and it went by pretty fast (I used a timer for this). The result? A beautiful, loaf of pretzel bread!

Pretzel bread is different from regular bread because you boil it before baking it. Once it makes contact with the hot water, the starches on the surface of the dough gelatinize, forming a protective crust. It comes out browned and shiny, making your mouth water for a piece. The inside is soft, with just the right amount of sweetness to it. Get your big boy pants on and try this. You will never want to eat store-bought pretzel bread again!

This recipe is courtesy of All Recipes and will serve 12 people who will be amazed at your talents.

Ingredients for Pretzel Bread:

Dough:

1 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 envelope rapid rise yeast
2 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed

Boiling Solution:

3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda

Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 tsp. water

Heat milk and butter until warm (100° to 110°); the butter will not completely melt.

Combine with undissolved yeast and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl.

Stir in salt and 2 cups flour, beat for 3 minutes.

Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine boiling solutions and bring to a boil.

Punch dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces.

Form each piece into a tight, smooth ball.

Boil each loaf in the solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute.

Remove loaves from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and cut a cross in the top.

Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the loaves are evenly browned.

Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

It’s that simple!