Ingredients: (makes 7-19 pretzels, depending on who rolls them out!)
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ cup warm water
- 4 1/4 cup bread flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
- Plastic gloves and goggles for handling the lye
- 1 oz. food-grade lye, dissolved in 1 quart of water
- Salt (large flakes like sea or Kosher salt are best)
Directions:
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in ¼ cup warm water. Let sit (proof) for 5 minutes.
- Measure the bread flour into a mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer). Add salt, 1 cup of warm water, and the proofed yeast.
- Mix by hand or with the dough hook until the dough comes together in a stiff ball. Add water (slowly) if needed to get the dough to form.
- Knead for 5 minutes (either by hand or with the dough hook). Add the butter and knead again for at least 5 more minutes, until butter is incorporated. I find that I need to keep an eye on the stand mixer to help get the butter into the dough—I’ll use a knife every now and then to cut the dough off the hook to help force the butter in. When done, the dough should be firm and soft, velvety to the touch.
- Form the dough into a ball, place into a buttered bowl. Cover and let rise until doubles, about 1 hour in a warm spot.
- Degas the dough (punch down) and divide into 2 ounce pieces (or use more dough per ball to make larger pretzels). Form into balls. Using very little flour, form balls into 1-foot long strands, thicker in the middle and tapering towards the ends.
- Take each strand and roll out again to form 2-foot strands. Twist into pretzel shape, using a little water again to make the ends stick to the loop.
- Place the formed pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (which I love to use). Refrigerate for 1 hour to dry out the surface. This makes the pretzels easier to handle. (I did an experiment last night where I left half of a batch in the fridge overnight and baked them in the morning—this gives a bit of flexibility with the baking timing—and they still came out great!)
- Make the lye solution: BE VERY CAREFUL! (Wear goggles, gloves, and long sleeves if desired). Place 1 quart of water in a plastic or glass container, weigh 1 ounce of food grade or reagent grade sodium hydroxide into a bowl and add slowly to the water, stirring with a plastic spoon or similar object. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER! Wipe up spills with paper towels and dispose immediately. Rinse with water or vinegar. Rinse all utensils and gloves with large amounts of water and wash arms and hands after working with the solution. If you feel anything burning on the skin, rewash with soap and water, rinse and dry.
- Remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator and dip each pretzel for 30 seconds in the lye solution. Remove with a slotted spoon, drip dry, and place back lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle pretzels generously with salt. If desired, cut into the thick curve of the pretzel with a razor blade (I haven’t tried this yet, but it gives the pretzels a traditional look). Let the pretzels rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat oven to 375°F. Bake pretzels for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Dispose of lye solution according to county and state hazardous waste regulations. This might include dilution of the solution with water, neutralization with an acid and subsequent dilution, or taking the waste to a disposal facility. I have been keeping the lye solution in a sealed HDPE container with a label indicating that it is lye.
This recipe is based on this one, and is reformatted for ease of use.
