* Exported from MasterCook *
Pretzels, Traditional Soft
Recipe By :Andrea Slonecker
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Crackers/Crisps/Pretzels
Posted
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast -- (1/4-oz/7-g)
1/2 cup warm water -- (120 ml) (between 100 and
115F,38 and 45C
1 tbsp barley malt syrup -- or 1 tbsp firmly packed
dark brown sugar
3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour -- (420g)
1/2 cup cold pilsner-style beer -- (120 ml)
2 tbsp unsalted butter -- cubed, room temp
2 tsp fine sea salt -- such as fleur de sel or sel gris
2 tbsp food-grade lye -- or 1/4 cup/60 g baked
baking soda (see notes below)
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. 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. The bellies are slashed with a long, deep slit in the bottom
to allow steam to escape as they bake. 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. 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. A dip in a solution of food-grade lye and
water before baking sets pretzels apart from other yeasted breads. If
you aren't up to the challenge of sourcing and working with lye, I've
offered a suitable alternative: baked baking soda. (See separate recipe.)
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer
or in a large bowl. Add the barley malt syrup, stirring until it is
dissolved. Allow the yeast to bloom until it is foamy, 5 to 7
minutes. Stir in the flour, beer, butter, and salt and continue
stirring to form a shaggy mass. Attach the bowl and the dough hook to
the stand mixer and begin kneading on medium-low speed. After about 1
minute the dough will form a smooth ball. The dough should be quite
firm and may be slightly tacky, but not sticky. (If it is sticky, add
a little more flour, about 1 tbsp at a time, and knead it in until
the dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry to come together, add
more water, 1 tsp at a time.) Continue kneading the dough on
medium-low speed until it is elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively,
turn the shaggy dough out onto an unfloured work surface and knead it by hand.
Choose a bowl that will be large enough to contain the dough after it
has doubled in size, and grease it lightly with butter. Transfer the
dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic
wrap. Put the dough in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours,
and up to 24 hours, for optimal flavor.
For quick pretzels, allow the dough to rise at room temperature (in a
warm spot) until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Shaping:
Line two 12-by-17"/30.5-by-43-cm rimmed baking sheets with parchment
paper; set aside.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and firmly press it
down to deflate. To form the classic pretzel shape, cut the dough
into eight equal portions. Work with one piece of dough at a time and
keep the rest covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel. Pat a piece
of dough down with your fingertips to form a rough rectangle about 3
1/2 by 5 1/2"/9 by 14 cm. Beginning on a long side, roll the dough up
tightly, forming it into a little loaf. Pinch the seam together.
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. 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. Once you can feel that
the dough rope doesn't want to stretch any farther (usually when it
is between 12 to 16"/30.5 to 40.5 cm long), set it aside to rest and
begin shaping another piece in the same manner. Repeat this process
with the remaining pieces of dough.
Return to the first dough rope and continue rolling it out to a
length of 24 to 28"/61 to 71 cm, leaving the center about 1 in/2.5 cm
in diameter and tapering the ends thinly by applying a little more
pressure as you work your way out. Position the dough rope into a U
shape, with the ends pointing away from you. Holding an end in each
hand, cross the ends about 3"/7.5 cm from the tips and then cross
them again. Fold the ends down and press them into the U at about 4
and 8 o'clock, allowing about 1/4"/6 mm of the ends to overhang.
Place the pretzel on one of the prepared baking sheets and cover it
with a damp towel. Repeat this process with the remaining dough,
spacing out the pretzels on the baking sheets at least 1"/2.5 cm
apart and covering them with a damp towel.
Allow the covered pretzels to rise at warm room temperature until
they have increased in size by about half, 20 to 30 minutes. (The
pretzels can be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly with
plastic wrap, for up to 8 hours before dipping and baking them.)
At least 20 minutes before baking, position one rack in the upper
third and another rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it
to 500F/260C/gas 10.
Prepare the lye solution or baked baking soda solution. See below.
Use stainless steel, plastic, or wooden implements to dip the
pretzels. Don't use your woven wire dipper from the Oriental market -
the dipping solution may attack it.
Use a large skimmer to gently dip the pretzels in the lye or baked
baking soda solution, one or two at a time. Leave them in the solution
for about 20 seconds, carefully turning once after 10 seconds. Remove
the pretzels from the liquid, drain, and return them to the baking
sheets, spacing them at least 1"/2.5 cm apart. If the ends come
detached, simply reposition them. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Use a sharp paring knife or razor blade to cut a slit about 1/4"/6 mm
deep in the thickest part of each pretzel (the bottom of the U). Top
them as you choose, if desired. Bake the pretzels until they are deep
mahogany in color, 8 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from front to
back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Transfer the
pretzels to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. The
pretzels are best enjoyed the day they are made, ideally warm from
the oven or within an hour of being baked.
To store the pretzels, allow them to cool completely and then wrap
each one individually in plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature
for up to 2 days, or put the plastic-wrapped pretzels in a resealable
plastic freezer bag and freeze them for up to 1 month. Reheat the
pretzels in a 350F/180C/gas 4 oven for about 5 minutes, or for 10 to
12 minutes if frozen.
Cooks' Note: To prepare a half batch of the dough, use the following
ingredient quantities: 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast; 1/4 cup/60 ml warm
water (between 100 and 115F/38 and 45C); 1 1/2 tsp barley malt syrup
or 1/2 tsp firmly packed dark brown sugar; 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp/210
g unbleached bread flour; 1/4 cup/60 ml cold pilsner-style beer; 1
tbsp unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, plus more for
greasing the bowl; 1 tsp fine sea salt, such as fleur de sel or sel gris.
Cal 232, Fat 4g, Carb 41g, Sod 948mg, Fiber 2g, Pro 7g
Review: Made these for the Superbowl band they were delicious! Took
my time in fermenting the dough. Full extra day in the fridge.
Dipping Solutions:
Be careful not to get either of these solutions in your eye. If you do,
flush with very large amounts of water and consider medical attention.
If you get any of the solid lye or carbonate in your eye, continuously
flush with water and call emergency services.
Discard used solution by slowly pouring it down the drain while
running cold water.
Lye:
NEVER add water to lye - it gets very hot and will spit at you.
ALWAYS add lye to water.
Don't buy too much lye at once and keep it in a tightly closed
container to slow deterioration. Be sure to get food grade.
Lye (sodium hydroxide) is a hazardous substance. If you need to
discard it, don't put it in the garbage. Contact your local waste
disposal company for instructions.
This solution is used cold.
Put 8C (2L) of water (room temperature or from the tap) in a stainless
steel or polypropylene container. Polypropylene is milky-white, marked
with recycle #5, and commonly used for food storage containers.
Wear rubber/latex/nitrile gloves and cover your arms. Protect your
face and eyes - hold something in front of your face while you reach
out at arms-length to add the lye. Once added to the water, the lye
solution is not dangerous to your skin. If you get any on you, wash
with cold water. Following with a vinegar rinse will get rid of the
slimy, soapy feeling.
Dissolve 2T (30g/1oz) lye in 8C (2L) of water (cold from the tap).
Other pretzel recipes use stronger solutions (30g lye + 1L water). You
may want to experiment.
Baked Baking soda:
This solution is used at a simmer.
It will give you a result that is close to the dark, burnished crust
that lye imparts. If you prefer to avoid working with lye, or just
don't have time to source it, use this method.
1/4 cup baking soda is sufficient for one batch of soft pretzels.
First, you must bake the baking soda. This step should be done while
the pretzels are undergoing their first rise, if not earlier.
Preheat the oven to 250F/120C/ gas 1/2. Spread out baking soda on an
aluminum pie pan or a small rimmed baking sheet covered with aluminum
foil. Bake the baking soda for 1 hour. The baking soda will lose
weight as it bakes but maintains about the same volume, so you should
end up with about 1/4 cup (70g) of baked baking soda. Allow it to
cool completely, and then keep it in an airtight container at room
temperature until you are ready to make pretzels. (If you see more
than one batch of pretzels in your future, consider baking a whole
box of baking soda in one shot, since it keeps indefinitely. Sift
baked baking soda before using, as it cakes after prolonged storage.)
Select a large stainless-steel pot and fill it with 8 cups (2L) of
water. Be sure to choose a pot that is at least a finger's length
wider than the diameter of the pretzels and tall enough so that the
water comes up no more than 2" (5cm) from the rim. (Avoid other metal
surfaces, such as aluminum and copper, and nonstick surfaces, which
may react with the baked baking soda.) Pour in the 1/4 cup (70g) of
baked baking soda, and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high
heat. Once the baking soda dissolves, reduce the heat to medium to
maintain a gentle simmer.
Before baking, brush the tops of the pretzels lightly with an egg
wash of 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp of water. This will give them
a glossy finish.
S(Internet address):
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/traditional-soft-pretzels
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 236 Calories; 4g Fat (15.1%
calories from fat); 7g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber;
8mg Cholesterol; 536mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean
Meat; 1/2 Fat.
NOTES : 2019 - 0710