Savory

Soft Pretzel bites

 

My first contact with Pretzel was many years ago. I was in Frankfurt airport waiting for my flight connection, so I sat down to drink a coffee. There, in the window of the cafe I saw these bread-y with coarse salt loops and decided to taste one.

The hard shell with soft interior, in combination with salt, it struck me. It was a great satisfaction. Since then, I tasted a variety of pretzels at every occasion. So it's time for me to try and create them at home. Reading recipes for making them, I thought it was a tough process, but I was wrong. The required steps, kneading, baking, boiling, but do not need special techniques.

The recipe I've chosen, give us pretzel bites, so there is no way on miss the look. Yields several pieces and is ideal for snack.

Good luck !

 

 

Ingredients :

 
  • 375 ml water (lukewarm)
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 9 gr dry active yeast
  • 600 gr flour (all purpose)
  • 60 gr unsalted butter (melted)
  • 150 gr baking soda
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 egg
  • sea salt or coarse salt
 

Preparation : 

 
  1. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the lukewarm water.
  2. Mix and keep aside for 5 minutes or until activated.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer put the flour, salt and butter.
  4. Add the yeast mixture and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  5. If necessary add some more flour but don't overdo it.
  6. Put the dough in a bowl coated with vegetable oil.
  7. Cover it with cling film and let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in size.
  8. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll each piece into 30cm ropes.
  9. Cut the ropes with a knife into 2.5cm pieces.
  10. Fill a big saucepan with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  11. When ready, add slowly the baking soda.
  12. Be careful because when soda drops in saucepan the water will foam and rise.
  13. Put the pretzels in the boiling water and cook them for 30 seconds.
  14. Remove them from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper to dry.
  15. Preheat oven at 230C.
  16. Beat the egg with some water and brush the top of the pretzel bites with it.
  17. Sprinkle them with some sea salt.
  18. Bake at preheated oven for about 6-8 min or until dark golden brown.
  19. Let them cool down.
 
 

Recipe adapted from here