Soft Pretzels (Jalapeno & Cinnamon Sugar) Day - 1

Hello friends,

Wish you all a very happy new year - 2016

After a long hiatus, I am back to blogging.  I missed all of you and my new year resolution is to update this blog with regular posts.  For the first time, I am going to attempt to post every day.  Wish me luck.  Thanks to Niv Mani of Panfusine for the motivation.  Here is my first recipe of the year.
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Recipe source:  King Arthur

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Instant yeast - 2 1/4 tsp
Warm water - 7/8 to 1 cup*

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall.  Your goal is a soft dough.

Topping:
Boiling water - 1 cup
Baking soda - 2 TBSP
Jalapeno - 1. roughly chopped
Coarse, Kosher or pretzel salt, optional
Unsalted butter, melted - 3 TBSP
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Powdered cinnamon - 2 TBSP

Method:

• To make dough with a food processor:  Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade.  Process for 5 seconds.  Add the water, and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl.  Process for another 45 seconds. 
• At this point, you can divide the dough in half. Add chopped jalapenos to one half, mix until combined. Place both the dough into a floured bowls and turn to coat. Cover and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the topping. Combine the boiling water and baking soda, stirring until the soda is totally dissolved.  Pour the mixer into a pan and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degree F.  Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable spray of lining it with parchment paper.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. If you halved the dough for two different flavors, divide each half into 4 equal pieces.  Allow the pieces to rest. uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 30" long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Working with 4 pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops.  Leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet.  This baking soda "bath" will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.

• Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle some salt to the jalapeno flavored pretzels.  Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with melted butter.  
• Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 2 TBSP powdered cinnamon and sprinkle over the plain buttered pretzel to coat.
• Eat the pretzel warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel