Gluten Free Soft Pretzels with Hemp Seeds

I adore soft pretzels. Every time I walk by a place that sells soft pretzels in a mall or airport my traitorous body tries to convince me that I must have one. In days long past I even got sick several times at places like this (most likely due to improper cream cheese storage) but that never stopped me from eating them.

It wasn’t until I adopted a more whole foods lifestyle that I stopped eating them with any regularity. They became a guilty treat for once in a great while. Though I don’t feel too guilty making this soft pretzel recipe. It has gluten free flour (with no wheat or soy), organic hemp seeds with their omega 3s and 6s, pastured butter, and they are cooked with avocado oil. The main ingredients came from Now Foods.

MUCH healthier than any you could buy. They are also quite good with some cream cheese!

Gluten Free Soft Pretzels with Hemp Seeds

For the Dough:
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour
2 Tbs Now Foods toasted Hemp Seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
2.25 tsp quick rise yeast
1 cup warm water

For the Top:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp baking soda
avocado oil for greasing the sheet pan (or any vegetable oil)
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
3 tbsp butter, melted

Mix all the dough ingredients together with a spatula and then let your stand mixer (with dough hook) knead for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with more flour and set aside to rise some place warm for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After letting your dough sit for 30 minutes cut into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a long rope, on a lightly greased counter top. Grease your cookie sheet as well. Mix the baking soda and water together and after transforming the dough ropes into their pretzel shapes, dip them in the soda wash. Place them on the greased cookie sheet and sprinkle liberally with course sea salt.

Cook for 10-12 minutes and brush with butter upon removing them from the oven. Eat them warm and feel free to add cream cheese. Enjoy!