Bread of Life

Point of the Week: Jesus said I am the bread that gives life! John 6:35

Exodus 16  tells the story of the Israelites struggling through the desert and the Lord giving them manna, and then in John 6 you read Jesus comparing himself to that manna. 

John 6:32 says, "Jesus said to them, 'Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' 

' Sir,' they said, 'always give us this bread.' 

Then Jesus declared, ' I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Jesus is the bread of life! Jesus compares himself to the miraculous gift of manna that God sent from heaven. Just as God sent the manna, God sends Jesus to bring life. And I just love how his disciples responded to him saying, "always give us this bread." I hope that is always my prayer and response to God - so cool. And sticking with the theme of bread, we found a fun recipe to make pretzels! 

My aunt found this recipe for pretzels that only takes sugar, salt, yeast, and flour! And the best part is you don't need to let the dough rise; just mix it up, knead it and then roll and twist away! We are calling them preschool pretzels, because this recipe is easy enough and quick enough you can make these with little kids. This recipe is similar to the one found here. And you can even watch a video of a mother and daughter duo on youtube making a similar recipe here. 

Preschool Pretzels 

1 Tbs sugar or honey

1 1/2 C warm water

1 tsp salt

1 pkg yeast

4 C of flour

1 egg (for egg wash)

Toppings:

Kosher/course salt

cinnamon/sugar

butter melted

Mix warm water, sugar, salt and yeast and set aside. It should start to bubble a little bit. Scoop 4 Cups of flour into a mixing bowl. Pour water mixture over flour. Stir until a thick dough forms. Sprinkle flour on dry/clean surface. Put dough mixture on surface and knead for 6-8 minutes. Cut strips of dough (about 3 oz) and roll into long strips. Pull out while you roll. Then twist it like a pretzel or however you desire. 

Mix one egg to "scramble" it and make an egg wash. Use a basting brush to brush the egg wash over your pretzels before baking. Sprinkle with course salt. If you prefer cinnamon and sugar omit the salt but still use the egg wash. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 12-18 minutes until golden brown. If you're wanting cinnamon and sugar brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.