Like the Old Days: Pretzel Rolls

Back when we used to go to Dalton, there was a bakery called Glendale's on 87th and Lex. They had many delicious things (frozen hot chocolate, anyone?) but I think my favorite thing they made was probably their pretzel rolls. Alas, time passed, as it has a way of doing. I graduated (that was not sad), Glendale's closed, I started only eating in kosher places. It seemed like the end of an era.

But then something amazing happened! While thumbing through the latest Kosher by Design, I found a recipe for pretzel challah! I was nervous to try out the recipe, but my desire to return to the joys of my youth was too strong, so I set out to conquer my fears. I did decide to make them in roll form because they're slightly easier to handle and because they were for a dinner party, but the idea remained.

I needn't have worried. This recipe is pretty easy. The thing that gives it its pretzel flavor is boiling the dough briefly in a baking soda bath, but other than that, it's more or less like other bread recipes. I thought these were delicious. The only thing to note is that if you want to freeze them, you shouldn't add salt because they'll get soggy. They make a great accompaniment to dinner, especially soup, and also are great on their own. You can find the recipe here.