Well, here it is again – Autumn and with it – Octoberfest. Now, I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love this time of year. I love the food associated with Fall and Octoberfest. I love the leaves turning brilliant colors on deciduous trees. (Not the leaves when they hit the ground, but that’s another story.) I also love the slight chill in the air in the evening and first thing in the morning. And I especially love that it is once again open season on soup. And comfort food like casseroles and homemade bread. And I absolutely adore the coziness our fake fireplace brings to our living room while we sit happily in front of it while reading in the evening. (Our cat Miles loves the extra bit of warmth also. So much so, that his kitty bed is now permanently ensconced on the floor between our chairs.)   

So, in considering the menu for this Sunday’s JazzVox pre-concert meal, I decided Central European food would be perfect.

I have used Octoberfest as the theme for other concert meals over the years and remembered that people absolutely love my Light Rye Bread (recipe on blog). So, not wanting to mess with a good thing, I decided to stick with what I know people will like. So, Light Rye Bread it is!

But for dinner the other evening, I decided to make pretzel rolls to go along with our soup. I thought the rolls might be a nice addition to the Octoberfest meal. And yes, they would be great. But this old gal can only spend so much time on her feet anymore. So, the pretzel rolls will just have to wait for another time. Even though they were quick and easy to build, they were still one dish too many for me to prepare and still remain sane! Sigh……

But I don’t have to wait to share this recipe with you! And if you are anything like me when it comes to soft pretzels and think that soft pretzels prove the existence of a higher being, then you are going to love this recipe. Easy to make, takes less time than making most other yeast breads, and tastes as good as Auntie Anne’s. Of course, they are not in the traditional pretzel shape that we all love and cherish. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s not the shape that counts. It’s how they taste. And they taste incredible!

So, I recommend you make these rolls at your earliest convenience. Or even if it’s not convenient, do it anyway. They are just that good.

But don’t forget the mustard to serve with these pretzel rolls. My favorite – plain old yellow mustard.

So, happy Octoberfest and Autumn to all. And as always – peace and love to each and everyone.  

1½ c. warm water + 6 c. water, divided

1 pkg. or a scant T. instant or active dry yeast  

unsalted butter, room temp.  

1 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 – 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

veggie oil, for greasing the bowl

2 T. baking soda

coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Mix the yeast, 1½ cups slightly warm water, 1 tablespoon butter, and brown sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear.

Add salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix with the dough hook and knead for at least 3 minutes until the dough is smooth, silky, and no longer tacky. Add additional flour as necessary. (The dough should be slightly sticky, but not tacky.)

Pour a small amount of oil in the bowl. Using your hands and a sturdy spatula, form the dough into a greased ball. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until nearly doubled in size.

Meanwhile lightly butter two 8×8-inch baking pans. (Or use whatever pan or pans you have that are roughly 8×16-inches.)

Once risen, punch the dough to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 18 balls, approximately the same size, and place on a piece of parchment paper. (I just pinch off 18 pieces of dough. Then I take bits and pieces off larger chunks and add to smaller pieces until I have roughly even size pieces. To form the balls, I just keep tucking under each piece until I have a nicely shaped ball.)  

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Bring the baking soda and the remaining 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.

Drop 3-4 pretzel balls at a time into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spatula or flat spider strainer (see picture below), lift the pretzel rolls out of the water and place back on the parchment paper. (Placing the rolls back on the parchment paper allows some of the water to drain off.) When all have had their bath, place the pretzel rolls close together in the prepared baking pans. (9 in each pan.) Using a pair of scissors, cut an “X” about ½-inch deep on each roll.   

 Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter and lightly brush each roll with the melted butter, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a light golden brown and the internal temperature of the rolls reaches at least 190-degrees.

Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature. With lots of mustard to dip in with each tender bite.