Bretzeln, my new obsession

I am in love love love with pretzel rolls. I loved them in Germany, and I love them here in America. I am particularly addicted to the Whole Foods version. So I flipped out when I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen. And I set out to make them IMMEDIATELY.

Hello little pretzel roll. Are you all toasty and warm and yeasty under that towel? I can't wait to EAT YOU.

I used highly active yeast, and it worked out quite well. They got nice and airy and puffy and beautiful.

 

Mmmmm. Here is a pretzel roll. Look at that yummy yummy salt. And its so puffy and light and lovely.

 

And of course here is the requisite "nom nom nom" picture. Plus, it makes the roll look so light and airy and crispy.

 

This pic ended up at the end, and I was too lazy to move it. Of course you have to boil them, to get that moistness and crisp crust. So here are my pretzel rolls, taking a bath.

So, tweaks I made to this recipe. I used highly active yeast, which worked quite well. And i used unbleached all purpose King Arthur flour for my flour, which I thought worked quite well, and made me feel healthy-ish. For the future, I would definitely use more sugar in the dough. That's what I love about the Whole Foods rolls. The insides are all light and airy and slightly sweet, and the outsides are crisp and salty. I would also make them into a long shape, to be traditionally German. And bake them a bit longer for more crunch.

Another note- these guys don't really keep well. They're pretty ok the next day, but not nearly as good as fresh. After the second day, they're really only good for little sandwiches, or if you toast them.