Einkorn Soft Pretzels

Einkorn Soft Pretzels

I can’t take full credit for this recipe.  My inspirational recipe was Maria Emmerich’s “Healthified Sub” recipe. I changed the water, added yeast for flavor and of course, added some Einkorn flour.  Oh, I also reduced the salt.

Man, the house smells like a bakery while these are baking…..you know that smell!  These rose nicely, have a chewy crust and have a very nice texture inside, as you can see in the photo  above.  They have the mouth feel and taste of real yeast bread, perhaps a wee bit more firm and “elastic”, but not unpleasantly so.  These were simply DELICIOUS!!  I got 8 pretzels from this recipe.   Being made with psyllium, these are VERY filling. 🙂

It goes without saying this recipe, with a bit of flour, is not suitable until you reach the grains rung of the Atkins carb reintroduction ladder in  Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance.  I order my Einkorn Flour from JovialFoods.com.  I order my NOW psyllium husk powder from Netrition.com.

If you want a lower carb bun, either reduce the Einkorn flour, or I just make Maria’s bun as her recipe is written (no Einkorn flour at all), but I would still add the yeast and pinch of sugar, as that adds a lovely yeast taste and aroma to these buns.   As you can see by my picture, I’m not as talented with “shaping” pretzels as some. LOL  Must work on that.  But the dough is somewhat difficult to work with.  sounds like a good excuse to me.  🙂

INGREDIENTS:  

1½ c. almond flour

5 T. psyllium husk powder (I use NOW brand; ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE  KONSYL BRAND!)

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dry yeast

¼ c. Einkorn Flour (for gluten free version, substitute either 1/4 c. certified gluten-free oat flour or  Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten Free Bake Mix)

Pinch sugar (consumed by yeast)

2½ T. apple cider vinegar

3 egg whites

1 c. boiling water

OPTIONAL:  1 egg white to glaze tops for a sheen.  Coarse-ground sea salt (I used Himilayan Pink Sea Salt).

DIRECTIONS:   Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a sheet pan with silicone sheet or parchment. Mix all the dry ingredients (including yeast) in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir well to be sure it is uniformly mixed.  Boil water.  Mix the egg whites and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork and add all at once to the dry ingredients.  Stir quickly with the fork, to make a thick dough.  Pour the 1 c. boiling water over the dough all at once and using the fork, stir quickly into a smooth mixture.  Now, using a rubber spatula and continue to stir quickly and fold as it thickens up.   Scoop out about 1/3 c. dough, roll on a silicone sheet into a 1/2″ “rope”.  Shape your pretzel, making two rings with a twist in the middle.  Repeat for other 7 pretzels. Place on the parchment/silicone lined pan fairly close together and pop into preheated 350º oven for a total of 45 minutes. If using egg wash, remove pan at 30 minutes cook time,  beat 1 egg white with 1 T. water and brush tops.  Sprinkle with coarse cracked salt.  Pop back into the oven and finish baking for about 15 minutes longer or until as brown as you desire.  Cool on pans before eating, as centers seem somewhat pack-y and “wet” if you don’t wait.  🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 pretzels, each contains:

154.4 calories

10.6 g  fat

12.6 g  carbs, 6.98 g  fiber, 5.62 g  NET CARBS

6.53 g  protein

193 mg sodium