Bavarian Pretzels

Instructions

1. For the pre-ferment, add yeast to warm water. Mix in flour and salt. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside for an hour at room temperature. After place the pre-ferment in the fridge for at least 3 hours up to 12 hours.
2. Add the warm water into the mixing bowl with a dough hook. Stir in malt syrup or brown sugar. Add in the yeast and stir to dissolve. Set aside for 5 minutes until foam starts to form on the surface of the liquid.
3. Add the flour, melted butter, salt, and malt powder to the bowl. Add in the pre-ferment dough as well, scraping the vessel to make sure all of it is added.
4. Stir with a spatula, until a shaggy dough forms, then on slow speed mix in need with a dough hook into the dough is smooth and elastic, increasing the speed to minimum as a dough comes together. It should take about 45 minutes. You may to scrape down the size of the bowl a couple of times.
5. If you don’t have a stand mixer, I want to need the dough by hand, stir all the ingredients together with it and spoon until a shaggy dough has formed, and most of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Need the dough by hand on a clean surface for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic
6. Grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Grab the dough and pull/stretch the sides of it until a smooth round ball is formed. Place the dough, rough side down, in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until double in size about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
7. After the dough has risen, dumped the dough onto a clean surface. Divide the dough into eight pieces about 120g (4oz) each.
8. Roll each of the dough pieces out into long rope. To get a more traditional German style, pretzel shape, taper the ends of the rope, thin and leave the middle of the dough thicker and more fat. Do not flower the surface, as it you need a bare surface for the dough to properly roll out.
9. If the dough doesn’t want to stretch, leave it for a few minutes and come back to it. The gluten will relax and allow the dough to stretch easier. The length should be about 24 inches long or longer.
10. Form the pretzels. First make a big “U” shape with the rope. Cross the arms over twice in the same direction, twisting them.
11. Bring the arms down to the bottom of the you firmly, pressing the ends to the belly, forming a pretzel shape. Move the pretzel to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ropes.
12. Cover the pretzels with plastic wrap for 15 to 20 minutes. At the end, they will start to look puffy. Remove the plastic wrap and let the pretzel sit out for another 15 minutes to get a tough “skin”.
13. Put the pretzels uncovered in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. They may also be placed in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will allow for easier handling in the lye solution.
14. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Spray or brush each with cooking oil.
15. Lie is a basic solution that is caustic and can burn. Wear gloves and be careful. Prepare the life solution by pouring the water in a large plastic bowl (preferred) or stainless steel bowl. Add the live powder to the water. Carefully stir the lye solution. It will be cloudy at first, but will clear up as the lye dissolves. once it’s clear set it aside.
16. Remove chilled pretzels from the fridge/freezer. Dip one pretzel on the live solution and leave it there for 30 seconds making sure it’s completely submerged. Pull the pretzel out a lye and place on the oiled baking sheet. Be careful as the pretzels will be a little slippery. Repeat with all pretzels.
17. Sprinkle the pretzels with pretzel salt. Cut the belly of the pretzel with a sharp knife or razor.
18. Bake the pretzels for 16 to 20 minutes, depending on how deeply brown you want the pretzel and how crispy you want them. Halfway through rotate the pan.
19. Once bake removed from oven. Pretzels may be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.