How To Safely Bake Authentic Pretzels From Scratch

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: bread flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients, while bread flour is often less expensive.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier, while margarine can be a budget-friendly option.

Prepare a pre-ferment the night before by mixing 60 g of cold water with 10 g of sourdough starter and 100 g of all-purpose flour until it forms a dough ball.

Cover the pre-ferment with a plate and let it sit overnight at room temperature.

The next day, combine 240 ml of cold water with the prepared pre-ferment in a bowl.

Add 10 g of salt, 10 g of sugar, 5 g of dry yeast, and 30 g of butter to the mixture.

Add 300 g of bread flour and 100 g of whole wheat flour, and mix until combined.

Knead the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes until smooth, then form it into a ball.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Prepare a lye solution by mixing 30 g of sodium hydroxide into 1 liter of cold water, taking care to avoid splattering.

Portion the dough into pieces weighing roughly 80 to 90 g each.

Roll each piece into a long strand, about 2 feet long, and shape into pretzels by crossing the ends and folding them up.

Place the shaped pretzels on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, leaving space between them to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Refrigerate the pretzels for 15 minutes to firm them up before dipping.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).

Dip each pretzel into the lye solution for 5 seconds, then place back on the baking sheet.

Sprinkle pretzel salt on top of each pretzel before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes until golden brown.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens