Monday, April 13, 2020

Pretzels

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

  •  2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
  •  1/2 teaspoon salt
  •  1 teaspoon sugar
  •  2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  •  1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

TOPPING:

  •  1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
  •  2 tablespoons baking soda
  •  Coarse salt (optional)
  •  3 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes (see pictures below).
  2. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn’t, it will make your pretzels splotchy. 
  4. Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (anywhere from 14 to 22 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  5. Bake the pretzels for 7 to 9 minutes or until they’re golden brown.