Traditional Swabian Soft Pretzels

How to make Traditional Swabian Soft Pretzels Recipe - Cafe Prost Recipe From Stephan Bayer at Research Triangle Park, NC

Makes 10 To 12 Soft Pretzels

DOUGH:
11 cups (1100g) all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups (600ml) water
1 ½ tbsp (24g) salt
1 tbsp (14g) instant yeast
5 ½ tbsp (80g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

LYE BATH:
¼ cup (40g) sodium hydroxide
(food-grade), divided
34 oz (1000ml) water
Coarse sea salt or cheese, as desired, for topping

Method:
To make the dough, combine all the dough ingredients in a mixer fitted with the dough hook. On the lowest setting, mix the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until it has an elastic consistency. There should be no lumps.

Test the elastic consistency by picking up a section of dough with both hands and stretching it apart. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 1 to 2 hours. If you have more time, try fermenting the dough by allowing it to rest for 5 to 8 hours overnight in the refrigerator. More rest yields more flavor.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

To prepare and twist the pretzel, cut the dough into 3 ½-ounce (100g) pieces and begin rolling out into a long cylindrical shape 12 to 18 inches (30.5 to 45.5cm) long. Start rolling from the inside to the outside while putting more pressure on your two index fingers. The ends of the rolled-out dough should be thinner than the rest. These ends will be the pretzel arms. Twist the dough into a pretzel shape with a double knot. Place the pretzel on the baking sheet.

To make the lye bath, combine the sodium hydroxide and water in a container. Stir until the sodium hydroxide is fully dissolved. Be very careful with sodium hydroxide. It is caustic and will eat away at your skin. Use gloves and wear eye protection. If you want a safer method, baking soda may be used as a substitute but it will yield a different result.

With gloves on, carefully dip the twisted pretzel dough and submerge fully in the lye bath. Place the pretzel back onto the tray.

Add toppings as desired. For traditional pretzels, coat the pretzel with coarse sea salt. Other toppings include European cheeses such as Gouda or Emmental. Feel free to be creative.

Bake the pretzels until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Traditional Swabian Soft Pretzels