SOFT PRETZELS
Makes a dozen pretzels
Soft pretzels did not originate in the United States. In fact, it’s said that the first soft pretzel was made in 610 A.D. by an Italian monk determined to inspire his students to study. (That would probably work for me.) However, pretzels became an American classic in the late 1800s in Pennsylvania, where Julius Sturgis opened the first commercial pretzel bakery. Today, 80 percent of all hard pretzels eaten in America are baked in Pennsylvania, with each person from Philadelphia eating 12 pounds of pretzels a year, on average. Those of you in Philadelphia who cannot eat gluten, this recipe is for you.
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 430 grams All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 200 grams Grain-Free Flour Mix
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) psyllium husks
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup (300 grams) baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk
- Coarse, flaky salt for sprinkling
Proof the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk together the warm water, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and the yeast. Let them rise until the top is frothy and the yeast has doubled in volume, about 15 minutes.
Make the dough. Add the flour blend, grain-free flour, and psyllium husks to the yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add the melted butter and salt. Let the mixer run until the dough is aerated and slumps off the paddle, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in a warm place in the kitchen for 2 hours.
Shape the pretzels. Scoop the dough out of the bowl. Divide the dough into balls of 85 grams each (between the size of a golf ball and a baseball). Dust the countertop with flour blend. Roll each dough into a tight ball, fully pushing out all air pockets, then roll the ball of dough between your hands to make a thick cigar-shaped piece. Starting from the middle, slowly roll the dough back and forth, moving your hands gently toward the ends of the dough as you do. The dough should lengthen into a fairly even rope. Stop when the rope is about 15 inches long. Press along the length of the rope to make sure it is solid and not about to tear.
Pick up the rope of dough and form it into a large U, with the two ends at the top. Wind the two ends around each other, twice, then fold them onto the bottom of the rope. This should look like a pretzel. (It might take a few tries until this feels familiar.)
Freeze the dough. Put the completed pretzel onto a plate. Repeat until the plate is full. Put the full plate in the freezer for 30 minutes. Continue filling plates and putting them in the freezer until you have rolled the entire batch of dough into pretzels.
Make the baking soda water. Set a large pot filled with about 10 cups of water and the baking soda over high heat. Stir the water and baking soda together until the water comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep the water at a steady simmer.
Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dunk the pretzels. Take one plate of frozen pretzels out of the freezer. One at a time, lower a pretzel into the baking soda water, on a slotted spoon, for about 30 seconds. Don’t let the pretzel stay in the water for longer than 1 minute or the dough will start to fall apart. Lift the dunked dough, still in its original shape, onto the lined baking sheet. Continue until the baking sheet is full.
Bake the pretzels. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the remaining 2 tea-spoons of honey. Brush the egg-honey wash over each pretzel. Top with coarse salt. Continue until all the pretzels on the baking sheet are washed. Bake until the pretzels are firm to the touch and dark brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the pretzels from the oven and cool them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Move them to a wire rack and let cool until they are only slightly warm.
Keep going with the remaining pretzels until you have baked them all.