My price was a pretzel between the ages of four and six. My mom was shopping at Caldor while I ate in the metal shopping cart’s front end.
A few years later, I took a life-changing Home Economics course. I was taught the basics of making patchwork pillows and how to make Quick Energy Pickups (sweetened peanut butter and powdered sugar rolled in chocolate chips) and that you could make pretzels at home. Mom and I tried it out one weekend. The pretzels were pale and distorted, but they came out of the oven hot on their sheets. Underseasoned. Underproofed. They were barely cooked through. We all ate them like animals.
Even though it seems that a bad pretzel can still be a good one, I decided it was time to give it another go. KitchenAid(r), just sent me a beautiful “Hot Sauce Red KitchenAid” Mini KitchenAid Artisan(r), so I had the perfect excuse. Love, Cake readers know that I rarely endorse products or brands. KitchenAid(r), equipment is what I use in my home, and it’s a great product. It has the same motor and smaller size as the KitchenAid (r) Artisan[r] Stand Mixer, but it is much more fun. It is small enough for a small kitchen, but powerful enough to make a good bread dough. This is exactly what I need.
I began with a simple white bread dough and added a little butter. After the dough had doubled at room temperature, I put it in the refrigerator overnight to allow it to rest for another day. This second rise gives the dough a yeasty flavor and makes it easier to shape and portion. The exterior will get that gorgeous burnished color and the perfect pretzel tang by dipping in a mixture of baking soda and brown sugar. Although a lye bath is more traditional, rubber gloves and protective glasses are not something I would want to wear on a lazy Saturday morning.
These fat Stanleys taste great dipped into mustard. They’re also puffy enough that you can cut them in half and make rolls. We created a couple of delicious egg and cheddar sandwiches. It was a delicious, richly flavored, custardy sandwich made with egg, cheese, and pretzels. Both of us decided we would never eat another egg sandwich. We were satisfied and happy to have reached the pinnacle of egg sandwiches. Then Sunday came around.
These pretzels were inspired from Lina Kulchinsky’s recipe for Sigmund’s Pretzels. Thomas Joseph, my friend from Sigmund’s Pretzels was making Lina’s pretzels in the Martha Stewart Test Kitchen that day. I was there for the cover shoot. I had the opportunity to taste the delicious rejects.
My version is more pillowy, but they are delicious with good mustard.
These are best eaten the same day as they were made. However, leftovers can be frozen and then reheated in the oven or microwave. They should not be stored at room temperature as the salt can melt making them soggy.
DOUGH
3 cups (13.5 ounces) bread flour
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 package active yeast (1/4 ounce).
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
3/4 cup warm water
4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces at room temperature. Add more to the bowl
WATER BATH
8 cups of water
1/3 cup baking soda
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
TO FINISH
For sprinkling, use flaky sea salt or pretzel salt
Combine the flour, brown sugar and yeast in a bowl. Use the paddle attachment to mix until the mixture is well combined. Turn the mixer to low and add the water slowly. Mix until you get a shaggy dough, which takes about three minutes. Mix in the butter pieces one at a time and continue mixing the dough for 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should be soft and smooth, but not too sticky. Butter the bowl and then remove the dough from its bowl. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before covering it with plastic wrap. Gently remove the air from the dough. Knead the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Two baking sheets should be lined with silicon baking mats. Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces using a lightly floured surface. Each piece should weigh approximately 2 1/2 ounces. Roll out one piece at a time until you have a length of 16-18 inches. To form a pretzel shape, first make a U. Then twist the ends together and bring the ends down so they overlap the bottom. Transfer the dough to the prepared sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Allow the pretzels to puff for approximately 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F for convection or 400°F for standard. Prepare the water bath. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. The water should be at least 2 inches below the pan’s rim to prevent it from bubbling up when you add the baking soda. Mix the brown sugar and baking soda together in the water. Stir to combine. After the bubbles subside, add 2-3 pretzels to your pot. It is easiest to place the pretzel in a bowl with a spider or large spoon, then lower it into the boiling water. Allow them to cook for 30 seconds to one minute each side, then transfer them to the sheets using a slotted spoon/spider. Salt the mixture. Continue with the remaining pretzels.
Bake the pretzels for 15-18 minutes, or until they are puffy and golden brown. When you touch them, they should feel crispy on the outside. If possible, transfer the sheets to a rack for cooling.
