Pretzel Bread Bowls Recipe

Gather your ingredients.

Add the brown sugar, butter, and yeast to the warm water in the bowl of the stand mixer. Allow the yeast to soften in the mixture for 3 minutes or so.

Add the flour to the yeast and water mixture and beat with the hook attachment of your stand mixer for 3 minutes, until smooth and elastic. It should be slightly sticky. If it is too sticky, add a few tablespoons of flour and beat again.

Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a somewhat warm place for one hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Separate the dough into four equal balls if you are making large pretzel bowls. If you're looking to make smaller pretzel bowls or buns, divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Form them into balls by pinching the dough underneath the rounded side, kind of like a balloon shape. Twist as you pinch. This will help the balls stay round when they cooks. Place them on a greased cookie tray and allow them to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Boil 8 to 10 cups of water in a large pot, then add the baking soda. Stir and return the water back to a boil. This will be the bath that the pretzels will be cooked in before baking. This step gives the bread its beautiful dark color and unique flavor.

Add the pretzel balls to the water one at a time. Boil for 30 seconds, then flip the ball with a slotted spoon and boil on the other side for 30 seconds.

Then remove it from the water with the slotted spoon and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the top of the dough balls with the egg wash.

Using a very sharp knife, make a cross cut over the top of each pretzel bowl.

You can sprinkle the tops with salt now, or wait until after they have been baked. If you wait until after they've been baked, brush them with melted butter before sprinkling with salt to help it stick.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until dark brown and crusty. Cut the top off, hollow out the bowl and fill with your favorite soup!