Hearty, crunchy, chewy & soft homemade pretzels recipe made with whole wheat flour and chia seeds. Full of fiber, Omega, protein and are so much fun for the kids!
These homemade pretzels are so easy, healthy and oh so much fun to make with kids. I know many of you, including myself, are scared of the yeast dough. I’m more of a salad and crock pot girl and I pulled these off.
I remember one night my mom came home from work and said she had amazing buns recipe. FYI, my mom is not a baker at ALL. Like not a tiny bit. So, she made the dough and it wouldn’t rise. She made a second batch and it wouldn’t rise either. She got mad and threw everything in a garbage. In the morning, we had yeast dough all over our kitchen floor. That was her last attempt in baking .
Why am I telling you this?! Because for these pretzels you don’t need to wait for the dough to rise. No mixer, no waiting game and other yeast dough tricks. My mom could make these.
I even think my yeast water should have had more bubbles but it worked.
I had some some child labour involved. I blame the bow tie shape of pretzels on kids. Have you ever cooked with kids? Yeah. You really can create any shape you want. My boys went for bow ties, hearts, sun and pretzel sticks. And of course coating in egg wash and toppings was the most fun. The key is to roll the dough into even thickness ropes.
This is what happens if you leave a toddler with a cinnamon shaker unattended.
And I’m aware I need to buy new pastry brush. The one I have is kind of vintage.
I bet you are wondering what the pretzels taste like?! Chewy, crunchy and hearty. They were soft but not pillow soft as if you used all-purpose white flour. We all loved pretzels this way! You get a delicious snack full of fiber, omega and protein. A wholesome snack or dessert. I was also happy my pretzels to be 100% organic.
For the toppings we used brown sugar, cinnamon and sesame seeds. I’m not a huge fan of salty pretzels but it would be a great idea to sprinkle them with coarse sea salt. If coating with toppings, don’t forget the egg wash. And if you want golden tops, broil the pretzels for a minute or so at the end.
Full credit for this recipe goes out to this book => Chia: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood
Ingredients
- 1 package or 2 + 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 + 3/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 cups whole wheat flour + more as needed
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Cinnamon, sesame seeds and brown sugar for coating (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, water and honey and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. The mixture should appear bubbly at the end.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, chia and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until stiff. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.
- Pinch off golf ball size bits of dough and roll into 1/4 - 1/2-inch in diameter ropes. Form these ropes into pretzels or other shapes (my boys made heart, sun, pretzel sticks) and gently place on a baking sheet. Continue until all dough has been rolled and shaped.
- Brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with your favourite toppings (both are optional). Bake until pretzels are puffy or for about 10 - 12 minutes, then broil for a a minute or so to get nice golden tops (I didn't but next time I will). Do not over bake pretzels as they will be dry. Take them out of the oven even if they still look undone.
Nutritional Info (not including the egg wash and coatings)
Servings Per Recipe: 14
Amount Per Serving = 1 pretzel:
Calories: 143.2
Total Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 167.4 mg
Total Carbs: 28.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 6.1 g
Protein: 5.6 g
WW Points+: 4