This recipe is a TWEAKED version of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine Recipe for Laugenbrezeln (German Lye Pretzels) I decided that I wanted to make the pretzel recipe but a few things I had to change. I didn’t want to use lye because lye can be dangerous to use. (they do give an alternative baking soda suggestion). I changed the water temperature because room temperature water never comes out as well as making bread doughs with warmer water. The biggest change I made was to add malt flour to the dough and to add malt flour to the water dip simmer. Malt flour is the secret ingredient to Philly Pretzels and most bagels in Pennsylvania so I thought malt flour was an essential ingredient. Malt flour adds a special flavor, some color, and a little chewy sweetness to the dough….I bought malt flour from my local Asiana Market but I’m certain that it is easy to buy on-line. Serving size is difficult to judge. The original recipe made 6 pretzels. I made this recipe into 12 small buns. One might not be enough for you???? My husband and me shared one as soon as they got cool enough to eat…He said that they were really good (several times) he went back to eat a whole one. That means you will want one or two a person. I’ll say 12 servings because I meant them to be small buns.
Ingredients for around 12 servings
12+3/4 oz bread flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter – room temperature
1 Tablespoon malt flour
1 cup 100 degree F water
8 cups water
1/3 cup baking soda
2 Tablespoons malt flour
12 pinches course sea salt
non stick canola spray
Directions
Ad the bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, yeast, butter,1 Tablespoon malt flour, 1 cup water to your bowl from your stand mixer. Mix it up by hand so the ingredients don’t fly all over. Then on medium low speed keep it mixing for around 6 minutes. Make sure you stop around three minutes to scrap down the bowl to make sure the dough gets mixed all the way threw. This mixture gets shaped into a ball and goes in a greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and wait till it doubles in size. Around an hour or so.
Divide the dough in 6 pieces. Do not add flour.
Roll each piece into a long log. You will have 6 long longs and make two braids.
Each braid gets cut in thirds.
Each third gets cut in half.
Then you put your hands kinda “C” shaped with your pinky fingers against the board with your dough and rock your hands around each dough ball to shape the dough round.
Then you spray plastic wrap and be sure to use the sprayed side against the dough so it doesn’t stick.
Leave this rest around an hour.
Set your oven to 475F and spray a couple baking sheets with canola non stick spray. Set the pans to the side.
In a big pot (you might have bubble over problems)…..add the 8 cups of water, baking soda, 2 Tablespoons malt flour and mix well. Bring this to boil and then lower it to simmer. Drop about 4 dough balls at a time. For around 30 seconds and then turn them over and do 30 seconds again. Then use a slotted spoon to get them out and shake off all the water that you can before you place them spread out on sprayed baking sheets.
As you get them on baking sheets don’t forget to add a pinch of course sea salt onto each one.
They go on the middle & bottom rack of your preheated 475 degree oven for around 10 minutes and get turned over for another 2 or 3 minutes.
I have to say that these pretzel buns came out CRAZY FORKING AMAZING!
My husband said I should sell them to a certain restaurant in metro Phoenix that offers baked pretzels that aren’t nearly as good.
Fluffy, soft, chewy, slightly moist inside with good tasting salt and a little crunch on the exterior.
A Special THANKS!!!! To Cook’s Illustrated Magazine for their GREAT Recipe so I could come up with what you see here.
