Sourdough Pretzels

Sourdough Pretzels
Sourdough Pretzels

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 tablespoons butter (or 1.5 tablespoons olive oil) (see notes)
  • ~2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 cup (230g) warm water
  • 300g (~1.5c) sourdough starter (fed or discard)
  • 4-5 cups (480-600 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour

Poaching

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda

Topping

  • Egg or egg white, beaten
  • Kosher salt or spicy salt (see notes)

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer mix sugar, water, and butter or oil until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add sourdough starter and mix.
  3. Gradually mix in 4 cups (17 ounces) (480 grams) of the flour.
  4. Turn out onto a well floured surface and continue adding flour until you have a firm, slightly sticky ball.
  5. Place dough into a well-greased bowl.
  6. Cover bowl, put into a warm place, and let rest for 2-3 hours.
  7. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
  8. Punch the dough down and turn out onto floured surface. Weigh and divide by 16 to figure out how much each pretzel should weigh.
  9. Using a dough cutter, cut off each piece and roll out each piece, snake-like, form into a pretzel, and put onto a floured surface. Continue with all of them. (Making them not look like dog turds is sometimes a challenge.)
  10. Bring a wide pan of water about 3″ deep to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon baking soda.
  11. Poach each pretzel for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Depending on the size of your pan/pot you should be able to do 3 – 5 of them at a time. Remove to wire rack to drain.
  12. Put on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash, and sprinkle liberally with salt.
  13. Bake for 15-18 minutes until desired brownness.

Notes

  • I use a flavored olive oil instead of the butter. Garlic or hot pepper add a touch of flavor.
  • For the topping, kosher salt works well. So does Trader Joe’s “Everything But The Bagel” seasoning. I also use Farmer Freed’s Spicy Salt. But I guess you could use anything you want. Pepper. Chili flakes.