We all love baked goodies because it’s warm, soft, sweet or savoury. People often ask, ‘What baked foods can vegans eat without the butter, eggs and dairy?’ As a fan of baking I’d say we don’t need those, as there are vegan alternatives available! Here’s a basic soft pretzel recipe using vegan butter and healthier ingredients. The fun part is creating the flavours – sugar crusted, salty or herb-infused.. possibilities are endless!

Vegan soft pretzels – makes 8-10 pieces
Ingredients:

2 ½ cups plain flour (2 cups if you want to use whole wheat flour)
2 ¼ teaspoon yeast
1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water, warmed to 35-40 C
¼ cup melted vegan butter, more for brushing (I used Nuttelex Olive. Try using the same amount of olive oil as healthier alternative.)

Instructions:
In a small bowl mix the water with sugar and yeast. Within a few minutes it should start becoming frothy. Leave it aside for now. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt. Add the yeast mixture with melted butter/oil in, mix until it forms a dough.

Sprinkle a flat surface with flour and knead the dough until it springs back when pressed. Place dough in a large bowl, cover and let it rise for 30 to 90 minutes at room temperature. It will grow to about twice the original size. Now pinch a small handful of dough and shape into a 30-40cm long roll.

Preheat oven to 210C. Place the ends together, overlap and twist them into a pretzel. Do this till all dough is used. Transfer them to a baking tray with baking paper/mat and brush the tops with butter/oil. Now it’s left with placing various flavours on top – you can get creative! Some flavours I tried here are garlic and mixed herbs, cumin and sea salt, salt and pepper, molasses, coconut and brown sugar.

Bake at 210C for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a cooling rack before serving. Leftovers can be stored in fridge for 5-7 days.