Home-made Soft Pretzels Recipe
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Ingredients:
• 1 and 1/2 cups warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 4 and 1/2 cups bread flour
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• Olive oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for the egg wash)
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Instructions:
1 Activate the Yeast:
• Combine the warm water, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
2 Make the Dough:
• Add the bread flour and melted butter. Attach the dough hook to the mixer, and knead on low speed until well combined. Increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. If no mixer you can knead the dough with your hands. If flaky add another table spoon of water to dough.
3 First Rise:
• Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or slightly damp towel to keep the dough from drying out, and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
4 Preheat and Prepare:
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush them with olive oil. If no parchment paper you can butter or oil the pan directly makes it a little more crispy. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large saucepan or stockpot.
5 Shape the Pretzels:
• Turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
6 Baking Soda Bath (Dont add all the baking soda to the boiling water at once, slowly mix it in):
• One by one, gently lower the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds each, flipping once. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula, and return to the baking sheet.
7 Baking:
• Brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy your homemade soft pretzels! They’re delightful on their own or with a side of mustard or warm cheese sauce. Happy baking!
1 comment
This is so rad!!