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Street-Corner Pretzels

Source of Recipe

From "Mad Hungry Cravings" by Lucinda Quinn


Recipe Introduction

"On my very first trip to New York City, the first thing I noticed when I emerged from the train station was the aroma of roasting chestnuts wafting from the vendor's cart. Also on offer were big, fluffy, salty, doughy pretzels. You can still find the same type of pretzel everywhere on the streets of New York. One pound store-bought bread dough can be used in place of the homemade."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup warm water
â—¦ 2 teaspoons sugar
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
â—¦ One ¼-ounce package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
â—¦ 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 3 tablespoons baking soda
â—¦ 2 tablespoons pretzel salt or coarse salt
â—¦ Mustard


Recipe

Combine the water, sugar, salt, and yeast in a small bowl and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast.

Put the flour in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Using your hands, gather the dough together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces. One at a time, roll each one into an 18-inch long rope. Form a U shape, and twist the ends together twice. Fold the twisted portion backward over the center of the U shape, and twist the ends together twice. Fold the twisted portion backward over the center of the U shape to form a circle, then gently press the ends of the rope onto the dough to seal. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet (you will probably need two.) Let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 475° F with a rack in the center position.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Boil the pretzels in batches, without crowding them, until puffed and slightly shiny, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to wire racks to drain.

Return the pretzels to the baking sheet and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up; the pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Rewarm in a 250° F oven if desired, and serve with your favorite mustard.

Makes 12 pretzels



• Good to Know:
Pretzel making, like bagel making, involves both boiling and baking. The boiling cooks the interior of the dough for the initial puff and creates a chewy texture. Adding baking soda to the water alkalizes it, which accounts for the shiny brown crust and unique flavor. You must drain the boiled pretzels on wire racks, but don't let too much time elapse before baking, or the pretzels will deflate. The ideal baked pretzel is soft inside with a thin, golden outside layer that is firm and slightly crunchy.