Ingredients
Bread-in-a-Bag Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 package rapid rise yeast (or 2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 3 Tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water (125-130°F)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approximate)
- Nonstick spray
Try one of these seasonings or a combination:
- Basil
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Coarse salt
- Dill
- Italian seasoning
- Oregano
- Parmesan cheese
- Rosemary
Directions
Bread-in-a-Bag:
- Wash hands with warm, soapy water.
- Combine whole-wheat flour, yeast, sugar, dry milk powder, and salt in a 1 gallon heavy-duty freezer bag with a zipper lock. Squeeze upper part of bag to force out air. Shake and work bag with fingers to blend ingredients.
- Add hot water and oil to the bag and reseal it. Mix by working bag with fingers.
- Gradually add enough all-purpose flour to the bag to make a stiff dough that pulls away from the bag.
- Place dough on a floured surface. Knead 2-4 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover dough and let it rest for a full 10 minutes. [end here for pretzels]
- Roll out dough into a rectangle 12×7-inch. Roll up from the short end, pinch to seal and place in a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan coated with nonstick spray. Let rise 20-25 minutes or until double in size.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until brown.
Soft Pretzels:
- Wash hands with warm, soapy water.
- Divide dough into 24 evenly sized balls. Roll each ball between your hands to make a 16-inch rope. Form into a pretzel shape or cut into bite- sized pieces.
- Spray baking sheet (any size) with nonstick spray.
- Place pretzels or bites onto baking sheets coated with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap coated in nonstick spray and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large pot, bring 6 inches of water and 1 Tablespoon of baking soda to a gentle boil.
- Remove plastic wrap and slip a few pretzels at a time into the water. Boil for 30 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with desired toppings. Return to baking sheets. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool slightly, serve warm.
Makes 12 servings
