Pretzel recipe how to#
Pretzel recipe skin#

Cover it and let it sit at room temperature for 60 minutes to rise.ĥ) Take the dough and divide it evenly (a dough cutter is helpful here) into 8 pieces. This dough does not need to pass the windowpane test.Ĥ) After 5 minutes or so of kneading, transfer the dough to a bowl that has been coated with vegetable oil and turn it a few times to coat the dough ball with oil. After a few minutes it comes together in a nice ball. It should form a soft ball after about 4 or 5 minutes.ģ) Without a mixer, to simulate a dough hook, dip your hand in a cup of water every few minutes and use it to mix the dough vigorously. If you have a mixer, just put on the dough hook and let it work until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I am a soaper, so I have plenty of lye in my home.1) Combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast into a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.Ģ) Mix in the melted butter and flour. I love a soft pretzel and this recipe looks awesome. Yikes! I didn't read the baking soda notes. Made these for the Superbowl band they were delicious! Took my time in fermenting the dough. Also important to let readers know not to use aluminum pans or utensils. Um.what is the lye solution? There is no ratio of water to lye. The only thing I wish you had mentioned at the end is that he was sprinkling salt on the pretzels because I know it sounds dumb but somebody might think he was sprinkling lie on the pretzels and hurt themselves are not clear on that but anyway other than that great video and I'm sure these pretzels are going to rock.

Pretzel recipe how to#

I also wanted to say to the person who said what are the ratios and the lye situation: go watch the video he made on you tube where he clearly goes over all the safety rules and the ratios and exactly how to do it. If not I'll come back and let you guys know LOL I just wanted to make sure I had everything including food-grade lye which I do cuz I make soap. I used the nodo fast way I let the rise for 3 hours and also I used less salt for the dough These were fantastic! I used the lye method which made them brown perfectly. Made it with the soda solution and cut the ropes into bites before baking. Not only were these delicious, but they offered us hours of entertainment and a finale that included a delicious beer/cheese sauce, a good IPA and polka music! Well worth the effort. Repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough. Once you can feel that the dough rope doesn’t want to stretch any farther (usually when it is between 12 to 16 in/30.5 to 40.5 cm long), set it aside to rest and begin shaping another piece in the same manner. If you need more friction, spray the counter with a little water from a squirt bottle or drizzle a few drops of water and spread it with your hand. Shape the dough into a rope by rolling it against the work surface with your palms and applying mild pressure, working from the center of the dough out to the ends. Beginning on a long side, roll the dough up tightly, forming it into a little loaf. Pat a piece of dough down with your fingertips to form a rough rectangle about 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 in/9 by 14 cm. Work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel. To form the classic pretzel shape, cut the dough into eight equal portions. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and firmly press it down to deflate. If you aren’t up to the challenge of sourcing and working with lye, I’ve offered a suitable alternative: baked baking soda. A dip in a solution of food-grade lye and water before baking sets pretzels apart from other yeasted breads. While an option for making quick pretzels is given, too, I highly recommend the overnight method because the dough’s flavor really develops during the slow fermentation, becoming nuanced with a yeasty tang that is worth every moment of anticipation.

To prepare the best pretzels, you’ll need to begin a day, or at least 8 hours, in advance and let the dough slowly rise in the refrigerator. The bellies are slashed with a long, deep slit in the bottom to allow steam to escape as they bake. The shape of these pretzels is typical of the historic German cultural region known as Swabia, where the tradition is to shape pretzels with fat “bellies” and thinly tapered, crispy “arms” interlocking in a twisted embrace.

Pretzel recipe skin#

If you've ever tasted a real German soft pretzel, with a deep, dark, burnished skin showered with crunchy salt crystals, and a yeasty, chewy middle, then you know what you're in for here.