This cross between a biscuit and a pretzel is the genius comfort food creation we’ve all been waiting for.
What happens when you combine the mouthwatering flavor of a soft pretzel with a tender, flaky homemade biscuit? You get a comfort food crossover that combines the best of two worlds: swinging by an Auntie Anne’s on a mall trip and rolling up to breakfast in Grandma’s kitchen. World, meet pretzel biscuits.
We have Erika Council of Atlanta, Georgia to thank for this creation. While she bakes close to 600 biscuits professionally each week for her pop-up shop Bomb Biscuit Atlanta, Erika makes time to invent new variations of biscuits to delight her family at home. To them, she’s known as a “biscuit Jedi.”
Biscuit making has always been a family affair for Erika. Her late grandmother, Mildred Cotton Council, opened the southern institution Mama Dip’s Kitchen. “You get a basket of biscuits with every meal,” she says. “On my mom’s side, too, we made biscuits all the time—it was just something I was always exposed to.”
Carrying on the family tradition, her inventive pretzel biscuit recipe was inspired by her 8-year-old. “My son loves biscuits, but he also really loves pretzels,” she says. They can never pass by an Auntie Anne’s without stopping to grab one. “I wanted him to love me as much as he loves Auntie Anne’s.”
On her journey to find the perfect pretzel-biscuit hybrid, the key for her was to find a recipe that used everyday ingredients. (Read: no lye, an alkali that’s usually used in pretzels, but can be dangerous if used incorrectly.) After some research, she found the best way was to upgrade her biscuits with a simple pretzel wash that utilizes baking soda, water, egg wash and pretzel salt. When brushed onto the biscuits, you get that pretzely flavor that comes pretty darn close to an Auntie Anne’s treat.
Craving one? We thought so. Here’s how to pretzel-wash biscuits at home for your family.
Pretzel Biscuit Recipe
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Erika recommends White Lily flour.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1-3/4 cup buttermilk, chilled
Pretzel Wash:
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 egg, beaten plus 1 teaspoon water
Pretzel salt or coarse salt
Directions
Step 1: Start Your Biscuit Mix
First, adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
NEXT PAGE
ADVERTISEMENT
