Soft Pretzels

Soft Pretzels

(I talked about this recipe here)

for the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons regular instant yeast
7/8 cup warm water

for the wash:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda

for the topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
various toppings (coarse sea salt and cinnamon-sugar are pictured)

Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Process for 5 seconds.
Add the water, and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds.
Place a handful of flour in a bowl, scoop the dough into the bowl, and shape the dough into a ball, coating it with the flour.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rest in a slightly warm oven for 30 minutes (I let my oven heat to 200, then turn it off, then put the bowl inside).
Preheat your oven to 500.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces.
Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, your pretzels will be splotchy.
Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope and twist each rope into a pretzel.
Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash, then place them on a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Bake the pretzels at 500 for 4 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up - it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their heavenly taste. Top with salt, cinnamon-sugar, or other toppings.

makes 8 pretzels
source: King Arthur Flour

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