Amish-Style Soft Pretzel
I have to confess, I love crispy, crunchy, potato chips. But when I want something a little different with a nice cold brew. I’ll make these soft, chewy, buttery pretzels. They really satisfy the crave. But I have to warn you, it’s hard to just eat one. I manage to because I have to. And what’s great about them is that they freeze well.
My wife, Jane, puts two in a sandwich bag and freezes them as soon as the cool completely or they will develop unsavory ice crystals from the escaping moisture. Just take them out of the freezer when the need arrives and re-heat them for about 10 minutes at 350ºF.
You can top them with whatever you like, sea salt, cinnamon sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or whatever else excites your taste buds.
If you let them ferment until the holes fill in, they will make great pretzel rolls for sandwiches or burgers.
Remember, life is as sweet as you make it.
Method: Straight dough
Mixing Time and Speed: 8-10 minutes at speed 2
Fermentation: None
Quantity: 8
Oven Temperature: 500ºF
Steam: none
Equipment
Scale
Timer
Wisk
Mixing bowls
Bench Scraper
Pan Spray (Pam will do)
2 Parchment lined half sheet pans
Pastry Brush
Ingredients U.S. Volume
Water 10.5 oz 10.5 oz.
Instant Yeast 0.16 oz 1 ½ tsp.
Bread Flour 12 oz 4 ½ cups
Pastry Flour 4 oz ¾ cups
Salt 0.1 oz 1 tsp.
Malt Syrup 0.3 oz 2 tsp.
Soda Wash
Water (warm) 8 oz.
Baking Soda 1 oz.
Melted Butter 4 oz.
Procedure:
Combine all ingredients and mix with dough hook for 8 to10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a 2” wide log and divide it into eight even segments or about 100 g for each.
Roll one of the pieces into a long rope as long as possible with out it breaking. Twist the rope into a pretzel shape (this took me a while to grasp) or you can just cut it into bite size pieces or sticks. Have all your pretzels made up before proceeding to the next step. It will make it a lot easier
Dip them in the soda wash solution and place them onto the lightly greased parchment lined sheet pan. Sprinkle them with your choice of topping.
Bake them at 500°F for 8-10 minutes or until they are a nice pretzel brown.
Brush them with melted butter immediately after taking them out of the oven. I do it right in the pan.
Let them cool.
*Adapted from Wayne Gisslen: Professional Baking Fourth Edition (2005, 701p) ISBN: 9780471464273
