My wife and I are attempting to deal with the state in the form of the DMV. To get our cars licensed in our new state of Oregon, they require (they aren’t alone or unique in this want) an original copy of the title and the fee for the license in one envelope. So, you see, we have to send for the title, include in that the check and an addressed, stamped envelope to include that title and the check and hope that the person on the title side knows what to do.
I grumbled and opined something about the overlords to which her somewhat venous response was to inquire if “a Republican would do better?” I noted it wasn’t a R or D issue exclusively, that government at all was this F*ed up. It was her next statement, libertarians like control, just like everybody else which was eye-opening.
Now, it is probably already clear that my wife and I don’t share the same views. What was interesting to me, and has been the source of a thread here and there on FaceBook and Twitter, (and in comments from leftist friends of mine, of whom I am sure I am 50 to 100% of all the libertarians they know) is, just what is a libertarian.
Good question and one I would have gotten wrong only a few years ago. It seems clear from my chums and that salty exchange that most people feel sure libertarians are just a one-off name for D or R and are given in immediate pass since we were smart enough not to affiliate with either of them.
Careers are made finding the answers to the “how do we fix that?” part of the statement. Look at the “Faculty and Staff” page of Mises.org and there are people who have made a career out of answering this. It would be easy to rest well knowing they got this. Then, I hear Brion McClanahan in my head saying “think locally; act locally.”
There seems not an LP in my area in south Oregon. I might be wrong and if so, let me know. But, I am seeking out Oregoneans who are pursuing SOJ51 with vigor. I will share that information.
My prime observation is that I think there are more than a few people for whom libertarian is just “that Aleppo Guy.” I know people and of people who are doing much, Tom Woods, Mike Tilden, ActualAnarchy, Caleb Huff and more people are getting the message out that we are not D or R. We are the, if I may, the antithesis of such silliness.
My youngest calls them “prentzels” and we let her because it’s cute. Her little linguistic gyrations will come to an end soon enough so there’s no reason not to enjoy it.
When I was a kid in Sterling Heights, MI, a suburb of Detroit, my dad and I would venture on occasion to the Oakland Mall. Two stores were the most important to me: Sander’s Ice Cream Parlor and Hot Sam’s Pretzels. They were great: big and soft and hot and salty and chewy and, with a bit of yellow mustard, probably the best thing ever.
As an adult I visited that mall, but somewhere between us moving away and my return, Sam’s went away too. Soft warm salty yeasty chewy pretzels seemed a fondness of days gone by. I’ll eat a crunchy pretzel, but my fondness was for that Proustian connection to the soft pretzel.
My kids like to watch the Tasty videos of food. Probably more for the sped up camera which makes mixing really cool to watch. They ooh and ahh at some things, and my wife sends them to me. One was the soft pretzel. The younger one really likes to help with everything and has to have her eyeballs right there. Driving a screw, “I wanna watch.” Throwing darts, “Can I do it?” So, mixing dough was going to be a two person job. She did fine.
We let our dough rest in the refrigerator overnight. If you do that, allow it an hour to warm up a bit before you work with the dough. It’s much easier to get the long ropes needed for big pretzels. Also, pretzels, properly done, require a special kind of lye-caustic soda-in the water when you boil them. It does make a difference and purists will scoff at you for not using it. If you use lye, do take care as well. It is caustic. Not time for silliness. You can get some at the link below, but if you prefer to use baking soda instead, it does work. A word of caution, however, about the soda: it is a leavener which means it makes air when it hits the hot water, the air takes the form of foam and it might overflow the top of your pot a moment.
Of course, soft pretzels are fabulous, but so too are pretzel buns.
I don't boil the buns. I prefer a softer roll for sandwiches, but of course, that is a personal preference.
Course
Bread
Cuisine
American
Keyword
Pretzel, Pretzel roll, Soft pretzel
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time15minutes
Fermenting and proofing2hours
Total Time25minutes
Servings85 oz rolls or pretzels
AuthorDann Reid
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
720 gBread flour
411gRoom temperature water
17gSalt
11gSugar
21gOil
6gInstant yeast
Topping
2/3CBaking soda
1eachEgg, beaten
Coarse pretzel saltKosher will work
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 450°F.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar, yeast and 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix thoroughly until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to the counter and kneed it for about 3 minutes to really work the dough and develop the texture. You will also start to feel the dough get a bit warm and smooth.
Pretzel dough is a stiff dough and my small counter top mixer gets a bit taxed here. A good kneed on the counter ensures a good dough.
3. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl (it's okay if it isn't washed out). Place the dough into the bowl, roll it around to coat it in oil.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Cut dough into 8 pieces (about 143 grams or 5 ounces) and roll them out into thin ropes, about 14 inches long. If your dough is a tad cool, it is acceptable to let the rope rest, covered with plastic wrap, and let it rest a few minutes. Turn and fold the two ends to form a pretzel shape.
6. Add baking soda to a large pot of salted water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side.
7. Remove pretzels from the water and place on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse salt. You can really individualize the pretzels: sesame seeds, garlic powder, cinnamon sugar. Invent.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
I love a good pretzel roll, or pretzel, for a sandwich or a snack.
Experiment with different coarse salts on top and different dipping sauces for the pretzels.
Try some sticks as well as the traditionally shaped pretzels.
Shaped pretzels proofing. Soon to be boiled.Boiling the pretzels. The foam is partly from the baking soda and partly from the flour. This is normal.One kid smelling the yeasty goodness, the other egg washing before she cinnamon sugars her’s.Lots of cinnamon sugar.Salt on one, cinnamon sugar on the other two. Mine, as samples for how-to, are at the top. They both got salt and one garlic powder.Yum! The kitchen smelled grand and when they were still warm, well, just heavenly. For the adults in the room, a beer is perfect.
For another option, make rolls. These are my version.
I scaled them at 4 oz, and, save the one round one, rolled them into a rectangle and folded them long edges to the middle then the ends to the center to create a rectangular roll.
Proof seam side down. When almost ready to bake, press them with a flat pan, egg wash, salt and bake. I baked them about 18 minutes.
