- 8
Ingredients
- FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 1/4 teas active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm (90) water
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tblsp light brown sugar
- 3/4 teas sugar
- 1 1/2 teas vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 teas salt
- FOR THE SIMMERING LIQUID:
- 2 quarts water
- 1/4 cup amber beer
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tblsp vegetable oil for glazing
- 1-2 tblsp pretzel salt or coarse sea salt to taste
Preparation
Step 1
MAKE THE DOUGH:
1. In a medium bowl or a pyrex measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 5 minutes, or until cloudy. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, sugar, and vegetable oil and mix well.
2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. With the motor running, add the liquid mixture and process for 2 minutes.
3. Spray a large bowl with pan spray. Scrape out the dough and place in the bowl. Cover with sprayed palstic srap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Line four half sheet pans with parchment paper and spray the parchment. Lightly oil your work surface and your hands. Remove the odugh from the refrigerator and press into a 6 inch square. Cut into 1 `1/2 x 3inch rectables. One at a time, shape each pi8ece into a pretzel. (Cover the pieces you aren't working with, with plastic or a damp kitchen towel.) Roll each piece out into a 24 inch long rope, slightly tapered at the ends. Shape into a U, then crisscross the ends halfway up, twist them together twice like a twist tie, and pull the legs down over the bottom of the U. Place the shaped pretzels on two of the lined baking sheets. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until not quite doubled.
5. While the pretzels are rising, place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 450. Cut the parchment the pretzels are on into squares to facilitate lifting and transferring the pretzels into the water bath.
SIMMER THE PRETZELS:
6. In a 10 inch wide stainless steel pot, combine the water, beer, baking soda, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Two at a time, lift a parchment square with a pretzel and carefully reverse the pretzel off the parchment into the simmering water. Cook for 10 seconds and flip, using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Cook for another 10 seconds, and with the skimmer, lift above the pan to drain. then trasfer to the other two baking sheets, rounded sides up. Brush with vegetable oil. Dust with pretzel salt or coarse salt.
7. Bake, switching the sheets from top to bottom and rotating from front to back halfway through, for 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are chestnut brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.