Soft Pretzels with Grainy Mustard
Posted on Nov 08, 2012
If you really want to impress your friends at your next sports-inspired get together, bake a batch of these guys. Be sure you eat them the same day you make them, preferably while they are still warm, as they don’t keep well. But that shouldn’t be a problem. <b>Materials:</b> - 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) warm water (110°F/43°C) - 1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast - 1 tbsp sugar - 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed - 3 1/4 cups (16 1/2 oz/515 g) all-purpose flour - 1 tsp kosher salt - 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) baking soda - Coarse salt for sprinkling - Grainy mustard for serving <i>Makes 12 pretzels</i>
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, the flour, and kosher salt. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed until smooth, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Step 2
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 18 inches (45 cm) long. With each rope positioned horizontally, bring the 2 ends up and toward the center as if forming an oval, cross one end over the other, and press each end into the bottom of the oval to create a pretzel shape. Place the pretzels on the prepared pan, spacing them evenly.
Step 3
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Fill a large, wide saucepan with 7 cups (56 fl oz/1.75 l) water, stir in the baking soda, and bring to a boil. Gently drop 2 or 3 pretzels at a time into the boiling water (be careful not to overcrowd them). Boil for just under 1 minute, turning once with a large slotted spoon or spatula. Return the boiled pretzels to the baking sheet, top side up. <i>Note: The baking soda added to the boiling water makes a massive difference in these pretzels (trust me—I learned the hard way when testing this recipe). It’s what helps them turn gorgeous and brown, so don’t skip it.</i>
Step 4
Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt. Bake until beautifully browned, about 10 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through. Serve warm with big spoonfuls of grainy mustard.
Step 5
This pretzel recipe is excerpted with permission from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616282002/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1616282002&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20">"Home Baked Comfort (Williams-Sonoma): Featuring Mouthwatering Recipes and Tales of the Sweet Life with Favorites from Bakers Across the Country"</a> by Kim Laidlaw and published by Weldon Owen.