Ingredients:
(Dough)
1 Cup Warm Water
2 TBS White Sugar
1 Packet of Instant Yeast
2 TBS Melted Unsalted Butter
3 Cups of Flour
1/2 TBS Vegetable Oil
(Proof)
~3 Cups of Water
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
(Finish)
~1TBS Pretzel or Course Salt
2 TBS Melted Unsalted Butter
Preparation:
This recipe references a stand mixer, but a silicone or wood spoon can be used with a large bowl in substitution.
Turn on the Hot water tap, and pour 1 Cup of hot water (~110°) into a mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and stir with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir a bit more and pour in 1 packet of yeast into the swirling water. Let sit for about 5–7 minutes while the yeast breaks down the sugar and becomes frothy.
Add in 2 TBS of melted butter, and give it a good whisk. Attach a dough hook to your stand mixer, and lock it in place. Stirring on level 2, add in the flour about a half cup at a time, letting the hook start to mix things together. I usually increase the speed to 3 to try and incorporate the first cup and a half before backing down.
Mix and knead the dough with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, or until well incorporated, and the dough is a bit tacky, but not sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl, and coat the bowl with the vegetable oil.
Put the dough back into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for a little over an hour.
**NOTE: If you are preparing your dough in advance, you can refrigerate it. The cold temperatures slow the rising of the dough, but does not prevent it. 12 hours in advance is roughly equal to a room temp rise.
While the dough is rising, take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Set the oven to 250° F. Spread a 1/2 cup of baking soda onto the foil, and bake for an hour. This helps to lower the PH of the baking soda for the proof.
**NOTE: After baking the baking soda, wear gloves and avoid skin contact. It will have become an irritant at this point.
After the dough has risen, and the soda as been baked, remove the baking soda from the oven.
Set it to 450° F.
Pour 3 cups of water into a large sauce-pot and bring to a boil.
Break the dough into 6 equal sized portions. This can be done with a knife, dough cutter, or a pizza cutter. Try and avoid working the dough in any fashion, we’ll need it a bit stretchy.
On a clean work surface, place a single piece of dough before you. Hands lightly powdered with flour, roll the dough away and toward your body while slowly pushing your hands further apart. You should end up with a rope of dough approximately 2 foot long.
Pull the dough into a U shape in front of you. Take each end and cross them over each other. Do so again, and fold the ends of the dough over onto the bottom.
You’ll likely get through about 4 or so pretzels by the time the water comes to boil. Turn the water down to a simmer until you’ve finished your pretzels.
Turn off the heat, and carefully pour the baking soda into the saucepot of water. With a whisk, stir until there are no large chunks of soda left. Pour the contents through a strainer into a bowl the pretzels can fit into.
One by one, gently place the pretzels into the hot proofing bath for 10–15 seconds. Remove them to a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper. Repeat until all pretzels are completed.
Sprinkle course salt or pretzel salt onto the twists, and place into a 450° F oven for approximately 8–12 minutes depending on your oven. The pretzels will hit a golden brown when they are ready.
While the pretzels are cooking, melt 2 TBS of butter for brushing/finishing.
Remove the pretzels from the oven when ready, and brush them with butter. Serve hot, warm, or cold from the fridge in a few hours. Goes great with cheese, honey mustard, and old fashioned mustard. If you are looking for more of a dessert pretzel, consider sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top after they are buttered, or you can use the recipe for sweet icing: https://medium.com/@ModernusRex/lemon-pancakes-with-sweet-icing-59c48ad735ba
(Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce)
1/2 Cup Mayo
2 TBS Yellow Mustard
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
2 TBS Honey
1/2 TBS Lemon Juice
(Dessert Icing Dipping)
4.5 Ounces of Cream Cheese
2 TBS Brown Sugar
1/2 TBS Soft Butter
1 TBS Milk
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
