How To Make Amazing Soft Pretzels - Lye Dipped Recipe

LeGourmetTV's picture

Jan. 13, 2021

Welcome Friends! Welcome back to the kitchen, today we're going to make a soft pretzel recipe. Soft pretzels are something that I really enjoy eating, I enjoy making soft pretzels, but I'm a bit of a disaster at shaping pretzels. But I keep trying because I really enjoy the process. This traditional soft pretzel recipe dips the pretzels in a Lye solution before baking, if dipping pretzels in lye scares you - you could dip your pretzels in a Baking Soda solution... But you'll lose that classic traditional soft pretzel colour and flavour.

Ingredients

Bread flour 750 Gram
Rye flour 50 Gram
Brown sugar 1 Teaspoon
Coarse salt 20 Gram
Instant yeast 1 Tablespoon
Diastatic malt powder 1 Teaspoon
Butter 2 Tablespoon (room temp)
Water 480 Milliliter (115°F)
Dip ingredients:
Water 1 Liter
Sodium hydroxide 50 Gram
Salt To Taste

Directions

GETTING READY:

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF).

MAKING:

2. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix together on low flour, brown sugar, salt, yeast, butter, diastatic malt powder, and water.

3. Once ragged dough ball is formed, bring the mixer up to medium speed and knead for about 8 minutes.

4. Smooth dough into a ball, cover and let rest 15 minutes.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, form into a rectangle, and cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.

6. Roughly shape the pieces into rectangles, then cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temp for 10 -15 minutes.

7. Roll the dough out into a 1 inch thick rope with tapered ends, and tie into a knot...

8. Allow the knots to rest on a parchment lined baking tray covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.

SERVING:

Serve & Enjoy!

Put two pairs of gloves, removing / replacing the outer pair as you need to touch other things in your kitchen between dipping the pretzels in the lye solution.

Pour the water into a non reactive stainless steel or plastic bowl.

Gently whisk the sodium hydroxide into the water.

Dip the pretzels in the sodium hydroxide solution one at a time 5 seconds on each side.

Remove the pretzel draining off any excess liquid before moving it back to the parchment lined sheet pan.

Repeat for all of the pretzels.

Sprinkle the salt or anything you like on the pretzels.

Bake for 20 minutes.

They are done when deep golden brown or the internal temperature reaches 205°F.

Best served warm.

Recipe Summary

Difficulty Level: Easy
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 4