Sourdough pretzels

Sourdough pretzels are my favorite way to use my sourdough. I make pretzels every few weeks. The dough is similar to a pizza dough mostly flour, water, yeast, salt. The sourdough adds some tanginess. Adding some brown sugar and powdered milk or powdered buttermilk adds flavor. When partially cooked you can brush with melted butter sprinkle with pretzel salt or a big crystal sea salt. The key is to boil the pretzel in water mixed with a few tablespoons of baking soda. Then after letting the pretzels dry a few minutes baking them produces a crisp exterior with soft middle.

Making 8 pretzels makes big pretzels but they easier to form. 10 pretzels is probably about the right size. You can also make pretzel bits just by cutting into small pieces and forming small balls. It takes some practice to get the wrapped pretzel shape. The key is to roll the dough a thin but consistent width.

I like brushing with butter halfway through baking and sprinking with salt. I bought some pretzel salt from amazon but a big crystal sea salt an also work. The pretzels come out really tasty.

I have experimenting by using milk, buttermilk, just water, or water with milk powder. Also I have used barley syrup or malt. Brown sugar or white sugar works. I have have heard the brown sugar gives darker color. Sometimes I brush with butter other times just sprinkle salt before baking.

All combinations come out really tasty. The prezels are best the first day but microwaving or toasting the next day freshens them up.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (170g) water
• 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter
• 3 cups (361g) flour
• 1/4 cup (35g) dry milk or dry buttermilk (optional)
• 2T (14g) sugar or brown sugar
• 1T butter or oil
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2 t instant yeast
• 2-3T baking soda
• pretzel salt
• 2T melted butter

Steps

• combine water, sourdough, flour, dry milk, sugar, oil, salt, yeast in mixer
• mix for 5-8 minutes, knead by hand can add flour until consistency not too sticky
• add 1-2t oil in bowl, coat dough with oil

• let rise until doubles about 1-2 hours

• divide dough with dough cutter into 8-10 pieces

• roll each piece into about 12-18 inch logs. form pretzel by creating a look twist over and press each end to to the loop making the pretzel.

• let sit for 15-30m to let the pretzel rise and get puffy. While rising boil a few inches of water in a pot.
• when water is boiling add a few pinches of salt and the 2-3T of baking soda to the water.
• one or two at a time add the pretzels. boil for 20s then flip sides and boil another 20s. place boiled pretzels on a wire rack.

• let the pretzels dry for a few minutes.

• bake pretzels in cookie sheets. After 5-8 minutes remove each cookie sheet. brush with butter and sprinkle pretzel salt or sea salt on the pretzels. return to oven rotating the position of the cookie sheet.

• bake another 5-10 minutes until the pretzels are getting dark and crispy on the outside.

• let cool for a few minutes before serving. The pretzels are best the same day but good next next 2 days. You can microwave or toast after the first day to freshen the pretzels.