Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Come along with me as I prep for a week of from scratch lunches for my family of 10. I will share tips, recipes, and more.
Want our family’s free weekly meal plan? Grab it here: bit.ly/TFSFnewsletter
Soft Pretzels:
To a stand mixer add: 1 cup of warm water and ½ cup of sourdough starter. Whisk to combine. Then put on your dough hook and add ¼ cup brown or maple or brown sugar, and 3 ½ cups flour. Knead on med for 7 minutes. Place in a warm place until doubled. This will take a few hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You can also pop in your oven with the light on to speed up the process. Next, roll out the dough into a big rectangle and cut it into strips. Roll out each strip into a rope. Then to shape them, cross it. Cross again. And then flip up. You can also skip shaping these altogether and just do pretzel bites, but I think the shape is half the fun. As you shape them, set them aside on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour more. When you are getting close to that time being up, mix up a solution of 3 cups of hot water and ¼ cup of baking soda. Mix well. Dip the whole pretzel into the solution and then place it back on your baking sheet. You will need to stir every few pretzels because the baking soda will settle. Preheat your oven to 475 F and let the pretzels sit for about 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats. Now is also the time to add pretzel salt or whatever other toppings you’d like on them. Bake for 8-10 minutes, but watch them closely since every oven is different and the baking soda solution will make them turn very brown, very quickly. After you remove them from the oven, brush immediately with melted butter.
Bagel bites:
Start by adding to a large bowl: ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup water, 1 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt. Mix the dough together well. It will be pretty sticky, but if it’s too sticky to work with, you can add in a bit more flour. Let this dough rest for about 15 minutes, then preheat your oven to 350. If you are making these at the last minute you can definitely skip the rest period.
Now take a heaping tablespoon of dough and spread it out into a circle. Don’t roll it too thin or the dough will break open when they are baking. Then you take a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese, make it into a ball, and place it in the center. Then, form the dough around the cream cheese ball, making sure to seal any seams. I usually roll it between my hands at the end. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You are going to repeat this until all of the dough is used up. Then brush the tops of each ball with egg and sprinkle with whatever seasonings your kids like, or you can skip seasoning all together. We like everything bagel seasoning, but you could also do a little cinnamon sugar or get creative.
Bake those for 15-20 minutes or until they begin to brown and are cooked through.
Links mentioned in this video:
Granola bar recipe: thefromscratchfarmhouse.com/no-bake-homemade-granola-bars-sweetened-with-honey
Tortilla Recipe: youtu.be/kbTpfL0gb0k
Sandwich bread recipes: youtu.be/4TWOab-Bd4c
More about our attempt to stay out of the grocery store for a year: youtu.be/bnXndmV1iSw
Snack from scratch: youtu.be/2b7cT2Mzw1s
You can see more of our day-to-day homesteading life on Instagram
instagram.com/thefromscratchfarmhouse
Come along with me as I prep for a week of from scratch lunches for my family of 10. I will share tips, recipes, and more.
Want our family’s free weekly meal plan? Grab it here: bit.ly/TFSFnewsletter
Soft Pretzels:
To a stand mixer add: 1 cup of warm water and ½ cup of sourdough starter. Whisk to combine. Then put on your dough hook and add ¼ cup brown or maple or brown sugar, and 3 ½ cups flour. Knead on med for 7 minutes. Place in a warm place until doubled. This will take a few hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You can also pop in your oven with the light on to speed up the process. Next, roll out the dough into a big rectangle and cut it into strips. Roll out each strip into a rope. Then to shape them, cross it. Cross again. And then flip up. You can also skip shaping these altogether and just do pretzel bites, but I think the shape is half the fun. As you shape them, set them aside on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour more. When you are getting close to that time being up, mix up a solution of 3 cups of hot water and ¼ cup of baking soda. Mix well. Dip the whole pretzel into the solution and then place it back on your baking sheet. You will need to stir every few pretzels because the baking soda will settle. Preheat your oven to 475 F and let the pretzels sit for about 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats. Now is also the time to add pretzel salt or whatever other toppings you’d like on them. Bake for 8-10 minutes, but watch them closely since every oven is different and the baking soda solution will make them turn very brown, very quickly. After you remove them from the oven, brush immediately with melted butter.
Bagel bites:
Start by adding to a large bowl: ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup water, 1 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt. Mix the dough together well. It will be pretty sticky, but if it’s too sticky to work with, you can add in a bit more flour. Let this dough rest for about 15 minutes, then preheat your oven to 350. If you are making these at the last minute you can definitely skip the rest period.
Now take a heaping tablespoon of dough and spread it out into a circle. Don’t roll it too thin or the dough will break open when they are baking. Then you take a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese, make it into a ball, and place it in the center. Then, form the dough around the cream cheese ball, making sure to seal any seams. I usually roll it between my hands at the end. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You are going to repeat this until all of the dough is used up. Then brush the tops of each ball with egg and sprinkle with whatever seasonings your kids like, or you can skip seasoning all together. We like everything bagel seasoning, but you could also do a little cinnamon sugar or get creative.
Bake those for 15-20 minutes or until they begin to brown and are cooked through.
Links mentioned in this video:
Granola bar recipe: thefromscratchfarmhouse.com/no-bake-homemade-granola-bars-sweetened-with-honey
Tortilla Recipe: youtu.be/kbTpfL0gb0k
Sandwich bread recipes: youtu.be/4TWOab-Bd4c
More about our attempt to stay out of the grocery store for a year: youtu.be/bnXndmV1iSw
Snack from scratch: youtu.be/2b7cT2Mzw1s
You can see more of our day-to-day homesteading life on Instagram
instagram.com/thefromscratchfarmhouse
