1cupsourdough starter100% hydration, fed and active
1cupwhole milk
4cupsall purpose flour
1Tablespoonbarley malt syrup
¼cupmelted unsalted butter
1 ½tspsalt
Baking Soda Bath:
10cupswaterboiling
2Tablespoonsbaking soda
1Tablespoonbrown sugar
Topping:
1egg yolk
course Kosher salt
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients.
Use the dough hook to knead the dough until it is smooth and slightly sticky, about 6-7 minutes.Shape the dough into a bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 2-4 hours, or until doubled.
*Recipe Note: Because sourdough starters have different thicknesses and levels of liquidity based on how and what they are fed, it is important to pay attention to the feel of the dough here. If your dough feels overly dry and crumbly, add 1Tablespoon of water at a time until it is workable.
To Shape the Pretzels:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface (or silicone rolling mat) and fold in half a few times to deflate.
Shape the dough into a rectangle and cut into 12 pieces.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out while you work.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 18" long and 1" thick.
Place the dough rope into the shape of a “U”.
Lift the ends of the rope and twist two times.
Fold the twist over and press the ends onto the dough.
Place the formed pretzels onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Cover the baking sheet with a towel and allow it to rise for 30-60 minutes. They should look slightly puffy.
To Cook the Pretzels:
Preheat the oven to 425 F with the oven rack in the center position.
Place a large pot of water on to boil. Add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar to the water.
Boil each pretzel in the water for 1 minute, flipping halfway through (so 30 seconds on each side). Use a slotted spoon to remove the pretzels from the water.
Place the pretzels back onto the baking sheet.
Brush each pretel with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until they look golden brown.
Notes
Optional timelines:
You can easily adapt this recipe if you want it to be a one day recipe or an overnight recipe that takes two days. Here are some suggested timelines for how to adjust your schedule. One Day Timeline: *Feed starter late evening the night before. Prepare the dough early in the morning (8am), shape the pretzels at lunchtime (12pm), and do the second rise. Then around 2 pm (figuring in extra time for shaping), you can start the boiling and baking. Be ready to eat freshly baked pretzels about 2:30 or 3:00 pm!Two Day Timeline: Day One, Feed the starter in the am (7am), and wait for it to become active (7pm). In the early evening, mix up the dough. Allow it to bulk ferment for 2 hours (9pm) and then place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning of the second day, remove the dough from the fridge and shape (8am). Allow the dough to rise (9am). Prepare the bath and preheat the oven, and then boil and bake the pretzels. Enjoy them around 9:30 am!