Bavarian Pretzels ~ Laugenbrezel

• Condiments

  • 1 Lye dip

• Baking & Spices

  • 260 g Bread flour
  • 860 g Flour
  • 10 g Kosher salt
  • 10 g Sugar
  • 60 g Yeast, fresh

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 Cooking spray, Nonstick

• Dairy

  • 70 g Butter, unsalted
  • 110 g Buttermilk

• Liquids

  • 470 g Water
  • 4 cups Water

• Other

  • 15 g food-grade lye

Found on cookbooks365.com

Description

Ingredients

• 235 g room-temperature water
• 5 g sugar
• 35 g unsalted butter
• 55 g buttermilk
• 30 g fresh yeast
• 130 g bread flour
• 430 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 5 g kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray for preparing the pan
• 15 g food-grade lye
• 2 cups/480 ml cold water
• 235 g room-temperature water
• 5 g sugar
• 35 g unsalted butter
• 55 g buttermilk
• 30 g fresh yeast
• 130 g bread flour
• 430 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 5 g kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray for preparing the pan
• LYE DIP
• 15 g food-grade lye
• 2 cups/480 ml cold water

Directions

• In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the room-temperature water, sugar, butter, and buttermilk, then crumble in the yeast. Mix on low speed until the yeast has dissolved. The butter will still be chunky. Add the bread flour and all-purpose flour and continue to mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together in a shaggy mass, about 1 minute. Add the salt, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead the dough until it looks dense and is moist and smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Cut the dough into four to six equal portions. Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour and put one portion of the dough on the floured surface. Using your palms in a back-and-forth motion, roll the dough into a rope about 24 in/ 61 cm long and ¾ in/2 cm thick. Keeping the center of the rope on the work surface, pick up one end with each hand and cross one end over the other to form a loose loop, then twist the ends around each other once. Now, fold the twisted ends over the opposite end of the loop, then attach one end to each side of the loop. If desired, using the tip of a paring knife, make a slash about 2 in/5 cm long and ½ in/12 mm deep along the bottom edge of the pretzel, to give it an authentic look. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and coat the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• To make the lye dip, in a medium bowl, combine the lye and cold water and stir to dissolve the lye.
• One at a time, fully submerge the pretzels in the lye solution, then transfer them to the prepared sheet pan. Let the pretzels rise until they are almost doubled in volume, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the pretzels generously with topping (if using); otherwise sprinkle with salt. Bake the pretzels, rotating the pan back to front at the halfway point to ensure even baking, until the tops are evenly dark golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the pretzels cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving. The pretzels taste best the day they are baked. Any leftovers can be saved for making croutons.