BIG, SOFT PRETZELS

Makes six 5-inch/12.5 cm pretzels

I WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE MALL GENERATION IN MY JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH school years. During the former, I saved my pennies for Lisa Frank notebooks, fruity-fragranced erasers, and stickers galore at the Hello Kitty store. In the latter years, I was an Abercrombie and Fitch obsessor, and hoarded Henleys and bulky sweaters, while dreaming of a boyfriend who smelled of their heady cologne and played lacrosse. In both eras, I never left the mall without buying a big, soft pretzel with pebbles of chalk white salt. I also found time for pretzel-eating in school cafeterias, and it often served as my lunch, with a chilled can of Cherry Coke on the side. In the all-things-fat-free craze of the 1990s, I really thought I was the pinnacle of health with that one.

These days, I don’t eat nearly as many soft pretzels as I should, and I’m betting you don’t, either. When Oktoberfest rolls around in the Midwest, the pretzel making at many bakeries goes into overdrive, rivaling that of any mall kiosk, a frenzy of twisting, boiling, and baking. But it turns out that they’re so fun to make at home, even a small batch is worth the effort. If you really want to have a taste of the Midwest, you’ll serve these with some beer cheese soup for dipping.

DOUGH:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/254 g warm water (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons/42 g unsalted European-style butter, melted

3½ cups/448 g bread flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Nonstick cooking spray or oil for bowl

BOILING SOLUTION:

2 quarts water

¼ cup/72 g baking soda

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

FINISHING:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Pinch of fine sea salt

Coarse salt for sprinkling

1 tablespoon unsalted European-style butter, melted

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, and melted butter. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture into a shaggy dough.

Fit the bowl onto the mixer with the dough hook. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic and clearing the sides of the bowl, 6 to 7 minutes. Lightly flour a work surface, scrape the dough out of the bowl, and knead the dough several times by hand. Form the dough into a ball. Spray the mixer bowl with nonstick cooking spray or oil it lightly and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 450°F/230°C. Line a 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using masking tape, mark off a 24-inch/61 cm length along a work surface. Lightly flour the surface and turn onto the dough out it. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll and stretch each piece of dough into a thin rope, about 24 inches/ 61 cm in length. The dough may be quite resistant to stretching in the beginning, so it’s easiest to first shape all the pieces into chunkier tube shapes, and then rotate through the pieces a few times, gradually lengthening each piece into a rope and allowing each portion to relax a bit before stretching it out further. Twist each rope into a pretzel: start by creating a U shape. Grasp 1 end in each hand. Twist together twice, exchanging the ends between hands. Lay the ends at the inside bottom curve of the pretzel, pressing them down firmly. Lay them on the prepared baking sheet.

Prepare the boiling solution: In a 3- to 4-quart/2.8 to 3.75 L saucepan, combine the water, baking soda, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer. Working with 1 pretzel at a time, gently lower each pretzel into the boiling solution, cooking 20 seconds per side. Remove each pretzel from the liquid with a slotted spatula (a fish spatula works well), and allow it to drain for a moment before placing it back on the baking sheet. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, in a small cup, beat together the egg, water, and salt until liquefied. Brush the pretzels lightly with the egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake until deeply golden, shiny, and firm on the outsides, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool briefly, then brush lightly with the melted butter. Serve warm.