Schnitzel With Noodles

Confession #1:

I have a culinary crush.

I think most people who like cooking have one.  It happens when your cooking ability has a crush on someone else's cooking ability.  There are a few ways you can identify your culinary crush.

1. When you're looking for a new recipe, this is the first chef you turn to because you know everything they make is amazing!
2. You could watch their cooking show all day long... literally.
3. When you want to curl up with a good book, the first thing you reach for is their most recent cookbook.
4. You don't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning because you can't wait to see how said cookbook ends.  

And who is my crush, you ask?

Yes, Alton Brown.  He may be over twice my age, but we can still cook side-by-side in the kitchens of our hearts!

   5. You say stupid, poetic things 

      like "the kitchens of our 

      hearts".

If you don't have a culinary crush, try Alton Brown's soft pretzel recipe and you may find yourself feeling a bit twitterpated the next time you turn on the TV and Alton Brown's Good Eats is on.  These pretzels are seriously delicious and super easy!

Alton Brown's Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (this will make very large pretzels. For smaller pretzels, divide into 16 pieces). Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.