Yeah I’m back. Well, back-ish. A lot can happen when you are in quarantine. Not saying I am consistently posting here but at least I am having fun (or at least trying to) while I’ve been in my house for a month straight. I think I stopped playing around over here for the simple reason that I was putting too much damn pressure on myself to be serious, be a brand, follow SEO, and blah blah blah–all the things that a pandemic quickly brings to light. It also makes you bake. So I baked Bunny Soft Pretzels since Easter is coming up but then again, what day are we in?!
This is actually an old recipe. It’s gluten free and vegan. Old school Fork & Beans style. As I make my way back here, note that this is not typical. But I thought I would spruce up an oldie but goodie because, well, I’m bored. And I need more creativity in my life as a means to play.
Don’t be fooled. These Bunny Soft Pretzels aren’t hard to make. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to mold them into the cutest little bunnies your mouth has ever tasted:
Bunny Soft Pretzels
- Prep Time: 50 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
- Yield: 6 bunny pretzels 1x
- Category: Easter
Ingredients
- 1 c. warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
- 1/2 tsp. coconut sugar (or use granulated sugar)
- 1 Tbsp. pysllium husk powder + 3 Tbsp. warm water, sit for 1 minute to thicken
- 3 1/4 c. Cara’s All-Purpose flour blend
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- WATER BATH:
- 6–8 c. water
- 1/4 c. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
LIGHTLY COAT WITH:
- olive oil
- coarse salt
Instructions
- Allow the yeast and sugar to froth in the warm water for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well-combined. Take out about 1 c. of the flour and keep nearby in a measuring cup nearby. Add the yeast mix, oil, maple syrup, and thickened psyllium into the bowl with flour and stir until dough becomes scrappy. Start adding the other half of the flour, 1/4 c. at a time until mixed in and a dough starts to form. Start kneading the dough with your hands for a couple of minutes in the bowl at this time to get it smooth. The dough should be moist but not sticky.
- Divide the dough into six, even and smooth balls.Roll each ball out with your hands on a lined flat surface until you have a long 14″ snake-like dough piece. For the bunny shape, cut off 2″ of the dough and set aside. For regular soft pretzel shapes, keep at 14″. Follow the tutorials in the post for how to shape your pretzels. For the bunny, take the remainder 2″ piece, roll it up and fill in the gap for the tail.
- Place on a baking sheet, cover and allow to gently rise for 30 minutes in a non-drafty spot in your kitchen.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring your water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda (slowly, it will start to cause your water to rise) and maple syrup.
- Gently place each pretzel in one-by-one with the guidance of a large spatula that will guide each one into the water. Allow to boil for 1 minute on each side, very gently turning over on the other side. Be careful, if done too quickly your pretzels can fall apart.
- Place on a baking sheet (with your spatula), lightly coating the tops with olive oil and sprinkling with coarse sea salt immediately. Repeat for each one.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around after the half-way point of cooking. Bake until a beautiful brown exterior forms. Allow to cool fully on the baking sheet before enjoying.
You can check this recipe out for regular ol’ pretzels if that is your thing vs. these adorable Bunnies. But hey, we are gearing up for Easter so who doesn’t love an Easter Bunny approved pretzel? Can you tell being cooped up in my house for a month is starting to play with my sanity? Oh, what am I saying, this is normal behavior. If you have stuck with me along the years (can you believe it’s been NINE years since I started this blog?!), you will know that this is typical ol’ me. Turning my ordinary food into something creative. No pandemic can stop me…
