Sourdough Pretzel Challah Knots

By gnikylime

Modified from
the challah recipe in Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, 2nd Edition, plus
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/amazing-soft-pretzel-rolls/
and
https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/11/pretzel-parker-house-rolls/

Ingredients

• Starter:
• 2 T. fed sourdough starter
• 0.5 c. 97F [36C] filtered water
• 90 g. all-purpose flour [Weizenmehl 550]
• Egg Custard:
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 t. sea salt
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs - 1 T., beaten
• 0.75 c. filtered water
• Remaining Dough Ingredients:
• 660 g. all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 T. fed sourdough starter
• Water Bath:
• 2 qt. water
• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 1 T. sugar
• Egg Wash:
• 1 T. egg, beaten
• 1/2 t. water
• To Finish:
• Coarse salt

Preparation

Step 1

1. The night before, mix the 2 T. sourdough starter, warm 0.5 c. water, and 90 g. flour in a large (>= 500 mL) jar. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
2. At least 6.5 hours before, start preparing the egg custard. Mix together 1 T. sugar, 2 t. sea salt. 3 T. oil, 3 beaten eggs with 1 T. removed and saved in the fridge, and 0.75 water in the top pot of a double boiler on medium heat. Whisk together well at the beginning and then regularly afterwards. Put a thermometer in the pot and don't let the custard go above 115 F [46 C].
3. Sift the 660 g. flour into a large bowl and for a well in the center. Put the fed sourdough mixture plus the additional tablespoon of flour in the well. Dust the sourdough with flour.
4. Once the egg custard is done, let it cool to 97F [36C]. Add it to the bowl and mix well. After things are reasonable well mixed, start kneading. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes. Add more flour if needed.
5. Oil the dough ball and place back into the bowl. Place the bowl in a large plastic bag and tie shut. Place somewhere warm and let rise until double (3-4 hours).
6. Once the dough has risen, start to form the knots. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Take 1/12 of the dough (This is best accomplished by weighing all of the dough and determining what 1/12 is; it will be approx. 3.5-4 oz [100 - 115 g.] per knot.), slightly knead it, and then roll it between your hands until it is long enough to knot. Knot it by crossing the two ends and tucking the end on top under and through the center. Place on Silpat.
7. Once the knots have been formed, loosely cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm. Let rise until about 50% larger (2-4 hours).
8. Once the knots have risen, preheat the oven to 400 F [205 C]. Fill a large pot with 2 qt water, 1/4 c. baking soda, and 1 T. sugar, stir well, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, gentry place three of the knots in the water. Boil for about 1 minute each side, flipping with a slotted spoon or strainer ladle. After the batch has been boiled, strain them on a rack. Add the next three. Continue until all of the rolls have been boiled and then arrange them back on the Silpat. Brush with the 1 T. egg and 1/2 t. water. Top with coarsely ground salt.
9. Bake 12 minutes.