Bread Knots

I was absolutely craving bread. But not fluffy bread, I wanted a nice dense bread to sink my teeth into. I stumbled across this recipe on Tumblr and it was perfect. And then I used this recipe to process election anxieties. I made well over a hundred in that time.

This makes 8 fist sized bread knots

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour which will make it more elastic)
• 2 ½ tsp instant yeast
• 3 ½ tsp sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp salt
• Just over 2 tbsp softened butter
• 1 1/3 cup water
• Toppings (salt, cheese, cinnamon sugar, etc)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients and the butter. After that, mix in the water.
2. Knead until you get a nice smooth supple doughy consistency (10-20 minutes).
3. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled.
4. Split into 8 balls. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Flatten balls and roll into thick cylinders. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Fill a pot with 6 1/3 cups water and 2 tbsp baking soda. Set to boil.
7. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
8. Roll the cylinders out long (fatter toward the center, tapered toward the end) and twist into desired shape.
9. Drop shaped pretzels into boiling solution. Let them boil for 30 seconds per side.
10. Remove knots and place them on a rack or a plate.
11. Fill a medium bowl with desired topping and set the knots in. Gently toss the knot until fully coated, then set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or until deep golden brown). Enjoy!
    

Topping ideas (proportional per 8 pretzel batch)

• Salt (sprinkle as desired)
• Shredded Cheese (sprinkle as desired)
• Cinnamon Sugar
  a. 4 tbsp sugar
  b. 4 tsp cinnamon
• Garlic Herb
  a. 8 tbsp melted butter
  b. 2 tsp onion powder
  c. 2 tsp garlic powder
  d. 2 tsp basil

Adapted from Tumblr User deadmothh