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We may be months away from April 26, but if summerween and Christmas in July can be a thing—and if HelloFresh has any say in it—a fall edition of National Pretzel Day is in order.
What’s that? You haven’t heard of National Pretzel Day? Well, aside from being an actual holiday each spring, it’s also a very big deal in the fictional world of The Office, where Scranton Business Park rolls out a pretzel cart, offering sweet-and-salty, freshly baked treats in a show of employee appreciation.
Better than pizza or trust falls, the treats bring together the Dunder Mifflin staff, as they wait in line to determine how they’ll take their pretzels: salted? Cinnamon sugar? The works (aka a sugar-infused mountain of toppings, ranging from marshmallows to chocolate syrup)? It’s both an all-too-relatable skewering of office perks…and kind of made you want a soft pretzel, stat.
Well, you no longer have to merely dream of The Office Pretzel Day experience. During the weeks of October 18 and 25, HelloFresh subscribers can order a kit that lets you create soft pretzels from scratch, complete with an entire toppings bar, for an extra $25, plus shipping and handling. But you’re not limited to pretzels; the collaboration also features a kit to make Michael Scott’s Fun Run Alfredo and Kevin Malone’s Famous Chili.) You don’t have to be a subscriber to take part, either—non-subscribers and HelloFresh customers in Canada can order the kits through HelloFreshOfficeEats.com, with limited-quantity drops happening on Monday, October 13, 20 and 27 at 9 a.m. ET.
That said, how hard is it to make your own pretzels from scratch? And is it worth doing on your own, versus hitting up the mall food court? After trying it firsthand, I have a whole new respect for pretzel-makers everywhere. My pretzels were hideous, but man, were they delicious. I now see why Stanley waited all year for this day.
You’ll get everything you need to make six soft pretzels, plus 18 toppings, ranging from hot fudge, peanut butter and salted caramel to coconut flakes, toffee bits and cinnamon sugar. The combinations are endless, though it’s definitely more geared toward dessert than savory options.
You’ll be working with yeast, but HelloFresh holds your hand every step of the way. The instructions feature a photo of each step, with ingredients bolded for easy reference.
The kit calls for using a stand mixer, though it could probably work with a hand mixer and the dough hook attachment, if you have those.
Essentially, the recipe calls for activating the instant yeast in a combination of warm milk, water and brown sugar (all included, except for the water), then gradually adding in flour, melted ghee and salt. It’ll take about 5 to 8 minutes to create a smooth ball of dough. Mine was pretty sticky, so I needed to use a little extra flour to make it less tacky.
From there, you let it rest for up to 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, then get to rolling the pretzels. That wound up being the trickiest part for me. I got lazy, and rather than making 18-inch, thin “snakes” of dough, I wound shorter, thicker ropes, so my pretzels wound up looking more like oblong buns than anything else—especially after they were boiled in baking soda and water (the next step). That gives them that signature brown crust and flavor, but they also puff up considerably after this step. Suddenly, I had six blobs on my hand…but that also meant fewer holes for the toppings to fall through.
Once boiled, the pretzels bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown, then they’re topped with additional melted ghee and, once cooled, all the toppings your heart desires.
If you’re a fan of The Office, this is a must-try. If you’ve never watched an episode, it’s even more mandatory—fire up season three, episode five, pull out your stand mixer and get ready for a real treat. Even if your pretzels wind up grossly misshapen, like mine, the results are pillowy, decadent and all-around delightful. Plus, who couldn’t use an excuse to turn an ordinary Saturday into a party? This kit contains everything you need to do just that. (Well, minus the Hulu or Peacock subscription to stream the show.)
