Homemade German Pretzels (from Wicked Harvest)

 

Ingredients:

Pretzels

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup lukewarm water

4 1/2 teaspoons (2 pkgs) active dry yeast

3 tbsp butter

Coarse salt for sprinkling

Baking Soda Bath

1/2 cup baking soda

2 quarts water

Instructions:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  Add the sugar to the center of the well, then pour the yeast mixture into the well. Let rest for 15 minutes before mixing.

After 15 minutes, add the softened butter to the mixing bowl and knead everything to a smooth dough by hand or with the dough hook on a standing mixer, adding a bit more water (not too much) if dough is too dry.  Form dough into a ball and let dough rest for 30 minutes.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Cut the ball of dough into twelve equal parts, then with your hands, roll each piece on an unfloured, clean table or countertop to a dough rope of about 20 inches (not less), tapering the dough at the ends. Try not to overwork the dough; if it gets too warm as you roll it out, it might tear.

To form a pretzel shape, place a dough rope on the parchment-lined cookie sheet so that it creates a letter “U”. Take both ends of the “U” and cross them over each other twice to form a twist, then bring the twist down and place it over the bottom curve of the “U”.

Place the pretzels in the refrigerator (I like to put them on parchment-paper-lined pans that I later use for baking), uncovered, for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Fill a large pot with water until 3/4 full and bring the water to a boil. Carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water; stand back a bit, as the baking soda will bubble up violently for a moment when it hits the water.

Using a slotted spoon, gently drop each pretzel into the bath for ten seconds, then turn the pretzel over for another ten seconds.  Place the finished pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Score each pretzel once with a razor blade or sharp knife and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how dark you like them.

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