pretzels

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 Tbsp. (11g) granulated sugar
• 2 c. (454g) water, room-temperature
• 2 tsp. Instant yeast
• 3 c. (340g) Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp. (6g) "non-diastatic malt powder" (or 2 tsp. (8g) granulated sugar)
• 1 Tbsp. (18g) salt
• 2 1/2 to 3 c. (300g to 360g) Bread Flour

Water Bath

• 6 c. (1361g) water
• 2 Tbsp. (28g) baking soda

Topping

• salt

Directions

• Mix the sugar, water and yeast; stir to dissolve. (If you're using instant yeast, skip this step, simply combining all of the ingredients at once.)
• Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
• Add the white wheat flour, malt, salt, and enough unbleached flour to make a soft (but not sticky) dough.
• Knead well, place in a bowl, and let rise until puffy, about 60 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a log, and shape the logs into pretzels. (See "tips," below.)
• Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly grease a baking sheet; or line the sheet with parchment and grease the parchment.
• In a large pot, boil together 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Put 4 pretzels at a time into the boiling water, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer boiled pretzels to the prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the pretzels with salt, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pretzels are well-browned.
• Store, well-wrapped, for up to 3 days on the counter, and freeze for up to a month.