Serves: 16
Total Calories: 166

1 3/4 cups water warm (105° to 115°)
1 package yeast active dry
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
vegetable oil
vegetable shortening Solid or margarine
1 egg
Coarse salt, sesame seeds or poppy seeds
* See note below.

* 1. Measure warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on water stir and wait for 5 minutes or until foamy. 2. Add whole wheat flour, 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons oil, salt and sugar. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add another 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and stir until blended. 3. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour on a board or pasty cloth. Place dough on floured surface. With clean hands, knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour whenever dough starts to stick to the surface. Knead until smooth and elastic or springy. Note: If you don't know how to knead, see Step 3 in Edible Play Dough. 4. Spread the inside of a large bowl with a thin layer of oil. Place dough in bowl. Turn dough over so top is coated with oil. Cover bowl with a clean towel and place bowl in a warm place, free from any drafts, to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. 5. Turn oven on to 400°. Lightly grease two cookie sheets with shortening or margarine.

6. Punch dough down with your fist. Form dough into a ball. Cut ball in half and place one half back in bowl. Cover with towel and set aside to use later.

7. Cut the remaining half of dough into eight equal pieces.

To Make a Pretzel: Roll each piece into a 20-inch long rope. Using one rope at a time, form a pretzel (see drawing).

To Make Animals: Shape dough into whatever shape you wish. (See drawings for ideas.)

Gently pinch pieces together where they touch. Place pretzels on one cookie sheet with about 1 inch of space between pretzels.

8. Beat egg in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush egg on each pretzel and sprinkle with coarse salt, sesame or poppy seeds. Set cookie sheet aside and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffy. While these are rising, shape other half of dough into pretzels and place on second cookie sheet.

9. While second batch of pretzels are rising, bake first pretzels for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Thicker shapes may require slightly longer baking. Remove pretzels to a wire cooling rack. Bake second batch of pretzels. Serve warm.

10. Pretzels are best eaten on the day baked, but once cooled, pretzels may be frozen. Place in a reclosable plastic freezer bag and freeze. Pretzels may be frozen up to 2 months. To reheat, wrap frozen pretzels in foil and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 16
Total Calories: 166
Calories from Fat: 24

More Recipes from the Marvelous Munchies Cookbook:
Cake Doughnuts
Muffins The Way You Like Them
Peanut Butter Bread
Raspberry Swirls
Soft Pretzels
Walnut Twist