Italy gets the credit for another delicious snack that everyone loves to have even though they are not hungry at the moment. We are talking about pretzels. It is famous all around the world now because of its salty and crunchy texture. Even though they are tasty as they are people like to try them with some unique things too. Here, I will answer the question of what to eat pretzels with.
Pretzels are a great snack to carry along with you on picnics or on long flights. People of all age group likes to eat them because they are salty and almost everyone likes to have something salty. It is important to know that comes in both soft and crunchy textures. It happens only because of the different ways to cook them but they both are salty.
Usually, they are available in all supermarkets but if you want then you can easily make it at home. It doesn’t need a lot of ingredients in the first place and they are not tricky at all. We will tell you the easy way to make them at home and the way to achieve the classic shape of a pretzel. This article will aim to address everything that you need to know before trying pretzels.
1. What Are Pretzels?
It is an easy task to know that pretzels are Italian snacks and kids love to eat them. They are available everywhere now thanks to the Internet. It is super easy to buy food online now and honestly, it has made our life very easy. Pretzels are salty and contain a lot of carbs. People usually make them from flour and use yeast to ferment the dough. Even though they are salty you need to add some sugar to them to balance the flavors. There are salty pretzels and crunchy pretzels and the next part of the article will talk about that in brief.
2. Difference Between Soft Pretzels And Crunchy Pretzels
Both soft pretzels and crunchy pretzels are available for us and we can either choose one of them or we can have both. They both have different properties and different methods to make but the ingredients also stay the same. To make the soft pretzel you need to use less water because more water means softer the dough will be. Also, keep in mind to bake them for a little while just like we make bread. You can choose to put something in between the roll of the dough to add an interesting element.
Now to make the crunchy hard pretzels use less water to knit the dough. Make sure that the dough is tight and not like the dough of the soft pretzels. When you put them in the oven to bake make them stay inside for about an hour at the same temperature. They make them crunchy in texture by preparing them this way to ensure they remain the same for a long time.
We can take them with us while traveling because they don’t need to be in the fridge to avoid getting bad. Please be mindful of the ingredients used to make the crunchy pretzels because they will lose moisture when we bake them for a long time in the oven.
3. How To Make The Perfect Pretzels
The main ingredient to make pretzels is flour. People will need some salt and sugar along with some yeast. They use yeast to ferment the dough, making it fluffy and trapping air in it. Don’t forget the unsalted butter because it is important to make it creamy and tasty. Baking them requires an oven.
You have to start by making dough and to make that mix flour with salt, sugar, and some butter. Don’t forget the yeast. Now, add some room-temperature water and knead the dough until it’s smooth. When it’s done keep the dough aside by covering the bowl with plastic wrap because it will give the yeast enough time to work on it.
Start making balls out of the pretzel dough. Take one small ball at once and roll it into a stick with the help of your hand. Now carefully turn the sticks into your desired pretzel shape. When everything is ready take a baking sheet grease some oil or butter on it and put the pretzels on the cooking sheet. Keep them at a uniform distance to avoid sticking with each other while baking.
Once ready you can either sprinkle some salt on the pretzels or you can enjoy them as they are. They are tasty when they are still a little warm. You can also choose to fill something in between the dough to add some flavors and texture like cheese, mustard sauce, or something else you like.
4. What To Eat Pretzels With
Pretzels are a great snack to enjoy at any time of the day but wouldn’t it be more fun to try them with different things? In this section, we will make you familiar with a few things that you try with your pretzels and they will not disappoint you.
4.01 Hummus
We should start by talking about what to eat with pretzels. Hummus has a very creamy texture and that makes it perfect to pair with pretzels. There are hummus available in the markets but it is better to make it at home. We would need some ingredients to make hummus like garlic, chickpeas, tahini, salt, and lemon juice.
You can start by taking a mixture and putting some chickpeas and chopped garlic in it. Start the mixture and blend it until it turns to fine powder. If someone doesn’t have fresh garlic cloves then use the garlic powder. When it is ready add some shredded ice along with the tahini, salt, and lemon juice in the mixture. Mix them for some time and they will be thick and ready to take out of the mixture. Now you can serve it in a small bowl and serve it with your soft pretzels or crunchy pretzels.
4.02 Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Chocolate can be a great choice to try out with your pretzels because a little salty and sweet can be a good pair. To make chocolate-covered pretzels we don’t need a lot of ingredients but we only need some chocolate. You can use some chocolate chips available in the market or just use some of your favorite chocolate. Start by melting the chocolate by using the double bowl technique. Once the chocolate has melted, place one pretzel in the chocolate bowl and fully dip it in the chocolate.
Now use a fork instead of a spoon to take it out of the chocolate bowl and put it in a tray. Now if the weather in your area is winter then let them stay at room temperature and the chocolate will get hard on its own. If you are making it in summer then you would be needed to keep them in your fridge for the chocolate to harden up.
There is one more way to add chocolate to your pretzels you can use it as a filling for pretzels. Chop your chocolate very finely almost in the powder form. While making the pretzels fill the chocolate in between the folds of the pretzels and seal it perfectly. Now you can bake them as usual and serve the pretzels with some coffee or hot cocoa.
4.03 Artichoke Dip
It can be a very interesting thing to make and it is a healthy option. The main ingredient is artichoke in this particular recipe. Start by cutting the artichoke into very small pieces. Now put some mayonnaise and parmesan cheese on the side and they should be in the same amount. They both must be important to add the much-needed creamy texture. Take a bowl and put all the required ingredients we just told you about into it and mix it well until everything combines perfectly with each other.
Once it is done put them in your oven and bake for four minutes. Now the cheese will melt and will be ready to eat. If you are thinking about storing it then you should think again because if we store it the cheese will go back to its natural state and it will not taste good. You can store the ingredients separately to help make it quickly whenever you need it. When it is still sizzling serve it with your crunchy pretzels and your guests will fall in love with this perfect combination.
4.04 Cream Cheese
Cream cheese can be a good choice if you are looking for an easy dip for your salty snacks. Even if you are tired working all week or you are lazy it is super easy to make a cream cheese dip. Start by keeping the cream cheese at room temperature for some time. When it is done transfer it to a small bowl and whip it with the help of a silicon spatula. Now add some seasonings to the bowl like salt, pepper powder, oregano, garlic powder, etc. Mix everything together and rest in the fridge for some time. Serve it with your crunchy pretzels when it is cold because it tastes better this way.
4.05 Peanut Butter
As we all know peanut butter can go with anything whether it is sweet or salty. Peanut butter is available in both smooth texture and crunchy texture with some small pieces of peanuts in it. If somebody wants then they can choose to use it as a dip for your crunchy pretzels. There is another way to include them and that would be by using it as a pretzel filling.
For this, you can use any form of peanut butter you like. Fill them in between your pretzels just like you filled your chocolate and it is difficult then freeze it in your freezer for some time before using it. Seal the edges of the pretzels carefully and put them in the oven to bake for the required time. Now serve your crunchy pretzels to anyone you like you share them with.
4.06 Cheesy Pretzels
Cheese can never fail you to enhance the flavor of your existing recipe. All the different kinds of cheese are creamy and delicious. You can use both mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese to implement this recipe. If you can use granulated cheese then use that or else grate the cheese blocks you have. Put some cheese in between the rolls of your pretzels and seal it carefully. Now when you bake them the cheese will get melted and will be chewy and very stretched. It is the perfect state to enjoy something cheesy but don’t eat it too often if you have some heart disease.
If you find it challenging then opt to make cheese dip instead. Put the cheese granules in a bowl along with some seasoning. You can also add some garlic in it or garlic powder instead of that. It can provide an extra element to your dip. When everything is mixed bake it for some time. Serve it with your crunchy pretzels when it is still hot and enjoy.
5. Final Note
In this article, we talked about a very famous and delicious Italian snack. Pretzels are salty but a great snack to enjoy if you want to try something new. They come in soft, hard, and crunchy textures. The soft pretzels are baked for a shorter time and have more water in them. The crunchy pretzels are baked for over an hour and have less water in them.
Soft pretzels are made to enjoy when they are fresh and crunchy pretzels are made to enjoy while you are going on a trip. You don’t have to store them in the refrigerator because it has less moisture in them. There are many different things to try with your crunchy pretzels like some dips or filling. Try them and enjoy the delicious taste of it.
