Soft Pretzels

Preface

Soft pretzels are traditionally blanched in lye, but that’s a bit intense for me, so a quick boil in water with a good amount of baking soda serves a good enough substitute to still give that nice brown color after baking. If you have a stand mixer, it will be much easier to use it, but you can get by without if you use a bit of elbow grease.

As with most soft pretzels, this goes amazing with a cheese sauce or mustard and is best eaten the same day (or warmed up a day or two after). This is my goto for game day, or when I’m just missing that pretzelly goodness.

Full credit to Alton Brown for this Soft Pretzel recipe

Equipment

• Stand mixer or a large bowl
• Scraper
• Sheet pan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110° - 115°F) water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (one package)
• 630 grams all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 cups if using volumetric)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• 2/3 cup baking soda (For blanching pretzels, prior to baking)
• Egg wash (1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water)
• Vegetable oil
• Big Flaky Salt or Pretzel Salt

Directions

1. Combine water, sugar, salt in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the yeast bloom, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour and butter. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and mix on low until combined. After it’s mixed, up the speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, somewhere around 5 minutes.
3. Lay down some plastic wrap or something relatively non-stick and place the dough ball on it. Clean the bowl, then oil the sides. Put the dough ball back and cover. Set aside until doubled, usually around 50 to 55 minutes.
4. Prehead oven to 450°F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with a silicone mat (or parchment paper).
5. Add 10 cups water to a large pot and add the baking soda.
6. While water is heating up, put the dough onto work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (you can weigh the entire thing and divide by 8 if you want to get really exact).
7. With your palms, roll each piece of dough into a rope, around 20 inches long. To make the pretzel shape, make a u-shape with the rope, cross one side over the other then bring the ends back down and gently press into the u part.
8. Place the pretzels in the boiling water for 30 seconds (you’ll probably only be able to do one at a time). Remove them from the water (I use a spider, but you can also use a large spatula or something similar).
9. Put boiled pretzels back on sheet pans, brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash, then sprinkle with pretzel salt.
10. Bake anywhere from 10-14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.