Soft pretzels stuffed with spinach and artichokes. (2023)

FAQs

Why do you boil soft pretzels before baking? ›

Boiling the dough causes it to instantly puff, creating a chewy interior and giving the exterior a head start on forming a crisp crust. The baking soda also produces pretzels with a deep golden brown and cracked appearance.

You can prep this dip a day or so ahead, cover it tightly, and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. Then just warm it up and put it out for your guests. It's a great make-ahead appetizer!

Baking Soda Bath (Step 6): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk.

Baked soda does a much better job of approximating true lye-dipped pretzels. Just dissolve 2/3 cup (about 100 grams) in 2 cups of water, immerse the formed raw pretzels in this solution for three to four minutes, rinse off the excess dipping solution in a large bowl of plain water, and bake.

As noted above, baking soda is a staple ingredient for making homemade pretzels. Dunking your pretzels in a baking soda bath prior to baking is what enables them to develop their distinctive color and crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture.

In the end, the choice between lye and baking soda is yours. If you're wary about bringing lye into your kitchen, baking soda works well. And while you won't have the same color, sheen, and texture, it still boils down (sorry!) to a delicious pretzel.

If your crab spinach artichoke dip is watery, it's likely because you didn't squeeze out the water from the spinach or artichokes. To prevent a watery consistency, make sure all of the ingredients added in are as dry as possible.

Serve this spinach artichoke dip hot with tortilla chips, crackers, pita bread, or vegetables. If you want to go the extra mile, try making homemade bagel chips or homemade crostini.

I've been making spinach dip for years, but using fresh baby spinach in place of frozen, chopped spinach makes all the difference! If you've got a few extra moments, I highly recommend using fresh.

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains.

What gives soft pretzels their flavor? ›

On the one hand, lye gives pretzels their distinctive flavor, kind of a sharp flatness, if that makes sense. It's what keeps a pretzel from tasting like pretzel-shaped bread.

The answer lies in a brief dip in an alkaline water bath before baking. This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.

If you don't use a baking soda bath, you can simply brush your pretzels with an egg wash before sprinkling on the salt and baking. To save time, I like to go ahead and prepare my baking soda bath while the dough is resting!

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven.

Egg Wash – Use an egg wash to give the pretzels a shiny golden brown exterior and help the salt (or seasonings) stick better.

To make the lye water for use in most recipes (such as for Mooncakes), use a ratio of 1:4 (1 part baked baking soda : 4 parts water). So if a recipe requires 1 teaspoon of lye water, simply mix 1/4 teaspoon of baked baking soda with 1 teaspoon of tap water.

Auntie Anne's calls the wash solution they bathe the pretzels in a "special solution". But frankly, its just baking soda and water, lol. Similar to what bagels would be bathed in before baking. It helps to brown them.

To substitute baking powder for baking soda, simply use three times the amount of baking powder as you would baking soda. This counteracts the addition of the dry acid and creates the right chemical reaction in your batter or dough.

If your hot spinach artichoke dip appears runny, pop it back in the oven and keep baking until thickened to your desired consistency.

How long does spinach artichoke dip last in the fridge? The cooked dip lasts for 5 days in the fridge. Cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container.

Can you wilt spinach by pouring boiling water over it? ›

This is a really quick and easy method. Simply fill a colander with your washed baby spinach and set it over the sink. Boil a full kettle. As soon as the water has boiled carefully pour the contents of the kettle over the spinach so the water wilts the leaves then runs through the colander down the drain.

There are a few great options for crackers to use with spinach dip. Pita chips, baguette slices, and crackers made with whole wheat flour are all great choices. For a healthier option, try using vegetable sticks instead of crackers.

Spinach artichoke dip with pita chips

Spinach artichoke dip is thick and creamy, and must thus pair with a solid chip that can handle its consistency.

Warm water: The quickest way to defrost frozen spinach is to place the spinach in a strainer. Run warm water over the strainer and continually turn the leaves to ensure all the ice melts.

If you want to extend the life of fresh spinach, store it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. However, when you buy frozen spinach from the store it is already cooked, which is how it gets its texture. For that reason, you'll need to cook the fresh spinach before storing it in the freezer.

Cold spinach dip made with frozen spinach is a creamy mixture of steamed spinach, mayo, sour cream, and Knorr soup mix. This quick and easy no-bake recipe is the perfect appetizer for parties and gatherings.

Choices include Cheese, Hot Salsa Cheese, Sweet Glaze, Caramel, Honey Mustard, Marinara, and Light Cream Cheese.

Our Original Pretzel only contains 5 grams of fat, and, yes, it is lightly dipped in butter. Since Auntie Anne's Pretzels are made fresh in our stores, you can request your pretzel without butter for a lower calorie option or order your pretzel without salt.

All those pretzels are made and twisted on the spot.

Auntie Anne's definitely doesn't serve pre-made pretzels! Every location receives shipments of the signature flour mixture, which is put in a mixer along with water and yeast. They're baked, brushed with real butter, salted and served right there.

In Germany, pretzels are often eaten as a quick snack. You can get them at every bakery and even at many service stations. Germans also love to eat their pretzels cut in half with a thick layer of butter and chopped chives on top. You have to try this combination!

What is the difference between a Bavarian pretzel and a regular pretzel? ›

These authentic Bavarian pretzels are different than their American counterpart soft pretzels because they are dipped in a more traditional lye mixture. In fact, the German name for these pretzels laugenbrezel literally translates to “lye pretzels.”

Instead, they mix hot (but not boiling) water with baking soda until the baking soda dissolves, then dunk the pretzels in that solution prior to baking. According to The Daily Meal, the baking soda solution slapped onto each pretzel is what gives them that signature Auntie Anne's crust.

Drizzle a small amount of water over the pretzel so that the pretzel is moist but not soggy. Wrap your pretzel in aluminum foil and place it in the oven for five minutes.

Keep it in a paper bag

Paper bags are preferable to plastic bags, as these allow the moisture to escape. Keep in mind, though, that with a paper bag your pretzels may become stale more quickly than by freezing them or placing them in a bread box.

Boiling breads like bagels and pretzels effectively sets the crust before it goes in the oven. The water doesn't actually penetrate very far into the bread because the starch on the exterior quickly gels and forms a barrier. Bagels are typically boiled for 30-60 seconds on each side.

A lot of our recipe was based off intuition and common knowledge of a pretzel recipe, but there were some parts that were taken directly from Auntie Anne's method. Take, for example, their "secret ingredient," which Auxer describes as something that was accidentally added to the recipe — we guessed sugar.

On the one hand, lye gives pretzels their distinctive flavor, kind of a sharp flatness, if that makes sense. It's what keeps a pretzel from tasting like pretzel-shaped bread. On the other hand, lye is ridiculously dangerous.

Anyone who has tried to make homemade pretzels knows that there is one essential step that you can never skip: boiling your pretzels in baking soda water before baking.

German pretzels are shaped a little bit different than American soft pretzels. The middle part is thicker and the ends thin out so that you have a really defined pretzel shape with three holes that doesn't bake up into a big shapeless bun.

German Pretzels – commonly known as Laugenbrezeln – are the classic baked good found in bakeries across the country. Made from a simple dough and dipped in baking soda, these authentic German pretzels have a soft inside, golden outside, and a dash of coarse salt!

Why do soft pretzels taste so good? ›

The Maillard process is integral to all bread baking — it shapes the way the crust forms and tastes. In the case of the pretzel, the Maillard reaction is responsible for the deep brown crust, crunchy arms and distinctive taste.

You can store them at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to 1 month. For a warm, soft pretzel, reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, or for 10-12 minutes if frozen.

DO NOT STORE PRETZELS IN REFRIGERATOR. Keep frozen (0 to -10°F) if stored in refrigerator, please use seal bag (seal or ziplock) so pretzels do no adapt odor/taste from other food items. Use within 3-4 days once defrosted if it remains refrigerated.