Servings 10 soft pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115ºF) water
- 1 Tablespoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 (1/4-oz.) package active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for greasing
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt or kosher salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the hot water, sugar and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture and allow it to sit undisturbed until it begins to form and puff up, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the flour and melted butter to the bowl and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough from the stand mixer bowl into the greased bowl then cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm, dark place to allow the dough to rise and double in size, about 1 hour. (See Kelly's Note.)
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Line two sheet trays with parchment paper and then grease them lightly with vegetable oil.
- In a large, heavy-bottom stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, whisk together 10 cups of water with the baking soda. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- While the water comes to a boil, transfer the dough onto your work surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces.
- Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Shape the ropes into pretzels then return them to the cookie sheets.
- Plunge the pretzels, one by one, into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove each of them from the water using a large slotted spoon and return them to the cookie sheet.
- Brush the pretzels with the egg wash then sprinkle them with salt (optional).
- Bake the pretzels until they are dark-golden brown in color, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- My favorite place to proof dough is in the dryer. Run your dryer for 5 minutes then turn it off (this is important!). Place the covered bowl of dough inside and close the dryer door. The dough will now thrive in a warm, dark and humid environment!
- Quick rise yeast: You can use instant yeast, but note that your pretzels might turn out a tad fluffier instead of chewy. You’ll want to use about 25% less than the recipe states, and you just add it to the dry ingredients (no need to mix it at the beginning with the wet).
- Storage: These pretzels are definitely best when enjoyed on the day they’re baked. If you really need to make them in advance, I’d make them one day before you want to serve them and store them in sealed plastic bags, but keep an eye on the moisture and open the bags every now and then if they look like they’re getting too soft. For warm pretzels, drizzle water over the pretzel and wrap in foil. Reheat at 325°F for five minutes until they’re warmed through.
- Make Ahead and Freeze: Baked and cooled pretzels freeze well for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pretzels at 350°F for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, microwave frozen pretzels until warm. For make-ahead convenience, the pretzel dough can be prepared in advance. Simply cover it and refrigerate for up to one day or freeze it in an airtight container for 2-3 months. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. While still cold, shape the refrigerated dough into your desired shape. Allow an additional hour for the pretzels to puff up before the baking soda bath and baking.
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