Pretzels

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 750 g flour, type 550
• 350 ml water, cold
• 30 g butter, soft
• 20 g salt
• 35 g yeast
• Sea salt, coarse and some caustic soda

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours

makes 14 pieces

Knead all ingredients into a fairly firm dough and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Then divide into 14 pieces and shape them into strands. This yeast dough is quite “unruly,” meaning that after some time, the strands won’t stretch any longer; instead, they spring back and shorten. The only solution is to let the strand rest until it relaxes. In the meantime, start on the next strands. Because the dough is very dry, it sometimes slides back and forth on the surface instead of rolling. It helps to spray a little water on it to make it sticky and allow the strands to roll. Shape the pretzels and secure the ends with a little water. Let them rise under a cloth and, when they have risen sufficiently, freeze them. When making lye, it’s very important that the lye doesn’t penetrate the dough; this can be avoided by freezing. At this point, you can also freeze a supply of pretzels. They are then simply dipped in lye and baked. You can also refrigerate the pretzels if you don’t want to freeze them. This can also be done overnight. Here, you should ensure that the dough is completely dry before lyeing it. Lye: The baker uses 3% caustic soda. It’s best to work with gloves and try to minimize contact with it, as caustic soda is caustic. Rinse everything with plenty of water afterward. Caution: Splashes of caustic soda will leave brown stains on light wood! Alternatively, you can also use baking soda according to the package instructions, but it will produce a slightly different crust than “real” lye. They aren’t really called “lye pretzels” anymore! I dissolved caustic soda cookies in water and placed them in a deep plate. Each pretzel was briefly dipped and placed on a nonstick baking sheet. Sea salt was then sprinkled on top. You should work very quickly when making the lye, as the pretzels won’t brown properly if you leave the lye on them for too long before baking. It’s best to add the lye, sprinkle with salt, and immediately put it in the oven. Bake at 240°C for about 15 minutes. Eat while still hot with butter.