Holly is a mother of five and the heart of her home kitchen. She’s the kind of cook who doesn’t just follow recipes, she pours love into everything she makes. Her meals have a way of bringing everyone to the table and keeping them there a little longer. She carries a special spirit not only in her home, but everywhere she goes. Warm, steady, and generous, it shows in her cooking and in the way she cares for the people around her. These are just two of many family favorites that have been made and loved around her table.
There’s something about working with dough that feels both comforting and a little magical. Maybe it’s the way simple ingredients, flour, yeast, water, transform into something warm and completely irresistible. These no fail breadsticks and homemade mall style soft pretzels are two recipes that never disappoint.
The breadsticks bake up soft and fluffy on the inside with a lightly golden, buttery finish on the outside. Perfect for dipping into soup, serving alongside pasta, or enjoying straight from the pan.
And the pretzels?
They have that classic chewy exterior and tender center that instantly brings you back to mall food court days, only better because they’re fresh from your own oven. Both recipes are beginner-friendly and forgiving, making them perfect whether you’re learning your way around yeast or just craving something warm and homemade.
There’s something so satisfying about pulling a tray of freshly baked bread from the oven, especially when you know they’ll be gone within minutes.
These are the kinds of recipes that make a kitchen feel alive and full of love.
Holly’s No Fail Bread Sticks:
Ingredients:
1 T yeast
1 1/2 C lukewarm water
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 C flour
Directions:
Add yeast to water. To know whether your yeast is alive or not, check for forming bubbles.
This is called proofing yeast, when small bubbles have form on the top of your yeast mixture this means the yeast has bloomed. However, if not the yeast is most likley expired or the water was too hot or cold.
Mix in other ingredients and stir with a spoon.
Knead for 3 minutes. You’ll want your dough smooth, not sticky.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Melt a cube of butter, after, pour the butter on a cookie sheet.
Roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/2 in. thickness. Roughly the size of the baking sheet.
Cut into stips with a pizza cutter. Then place on the cookie sheet, rolling in the melted butter and then twisting.
Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice, we used garlic salt. You can also sprinkle parmesan cheese on the top.
Let rise for 10 minutes and then bake for 20 minutes!
Enjoy!
And now for the pretzels!
Homemade Mall Style Soft Pretzels
Ingredients:
2/3 C baking soda
2 T granualted sugar
1 pkt (2 1/4 t) active dry yeast
1 t kosher salt
1 stick (8 T) unsalted butter, divided
3 C all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Vegetable oil, for greasing bowl
1 T coarse pretzel salt, for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly sprinkle the baking soda over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-60 mins. Melt 2 T of the butter.
Meanwhile, pour one cup of warm water into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over the water and let sit until the yeast becomes frothy, around 5 mins. Stir in salt and the 2 T of melted butter.
Add the flour, stirring in a bit at a time, until a dough forms and loses most of its stickiness. Knead the dough until smooth, the lift from the bowl and oilthe bowl with vegetable oil. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot until doubbled in size, about 45 mins to an hour.
Remove the baked baking soda from the oven and set aside. (Make sure not to breathe it in or handle it with your bake hands, it can be irritating.) Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Spray nonsick spray on your kneading surface. Pour out the risen dough.
Cut the dough into strips approximately 1-1/2” wide and 8” long. Then, stretch and roll the dough strips until they are long, thin ropes. Shape the ropes into the classic pretzel shape.
Pour 3 cups of hot tap water into a large, non-reactive bowl. Whisk the baked baking soda into the hot water until dissolved. Briefly dip each pretzel, one at a time, into the baking solution and then place on the prepared baking sheet. You should be able to fit 6, barley touching pretzels on the sheet. Sprinkle the pretzels with pretzel salt or whatever you want.
Bake for 8 mins, turning the tray a 180 half-way through. Melt the remainder of the butter.
Brush the freshly baked pretzels with melted butter and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Notes:
These pretzels are best served fresh from the oven, but stored well in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month in a plastic bag with the excess air pushed out. To reheat, wrap each pretzels in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave in 15 second intervals until warmed through.
If you’d like to make cinnamon-sugar pretzels, don’t add pretzel salt to the pretzels before baking. As they bake, combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a large pan or tray. Approximately 2 T of cinnamon per cup of granulated sugar is ideal. Once the pretzels are fully baked, brush them all over with butter. While they’re still warm, place them one at a time in the tray or cinnamon and sugar and shake back and fort to coat.
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Thank you so much for being here and for spending a little time in our kitchen. It truly means more than you know. I hope these recipes bring warmth to your home, comfort to your table, and maybe even a new favorite to share with the people you love. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Until next time, happy cooking!
