The Redhead German Soft Pretzels

Prep Time 1 hour | Bake Time 9 minutes | Makes 20 small pretzels

In a stand mixer, add warm water and sugar 1.
Sprinkle yeast on top. Let rest (aka bloom). 2.
While waiting, combine all three fours and malt powder in a bowl. Whisk to combine. If using malt syrup, 3.
add to melted butter (below).
Melt butter. Whisk salt int warm butter to dissolve. If using malt syrup, add to butter as well. 4.
Once yeast has activated, add four mixture and butter mixture to the water and combine using a stand mixer 5.
dough hook.
Knead the dough until sof and smooth (dough will pull away nicely from the sides of the bowl. 6.
Transfer dough to a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until double in size, 7.
approximately 45 minutes. Use oven set at 135F, if necessary.
Transfer dough to a clean work surface where it will defate. 8.
Weigh out 2 1/2 oz pieces of dough. 9.
Roll each to an even thickness 12-14 long rope and twist to pretzel shape. 10.
Place each pretzel on a sheet tray that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 11.
Let each tray of shaped pretzels rise at room temperature to 1/3 larger in size, puf ng up slightly. 12.
Move trays to a refrigerator to chill and frm. 13.
Make the lye solution while pretzels chill: Using gloves, add lye and salt to a non-reactive (stainless steel or 14.
glass) bowl.
Bring water to a boil, cooling slightly before adding to lye and salt. 15.
GENTLY and slowly, pour the warm water into the bowl. It will bubble up. BE VERY CAREFUL. 16.
Carefully stir to dissolve. Let solution cool before dipping pretzels. ALWAYS WORK WITH GLOVED 17.
HANDS.
Using gloved hands, dip each pretzel into the lye/salt solution and place back onto the sheet. 18.
Sprinkle with pretzel salt. 19.
Bake in 400F oven until golden to dark brown, about 8-9 minutes. 20.
Karen Breen-Bondie | Meg Grace, The Redhead-NYC
DDD Segment: http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/pretzels-and-beer-cheese-sauce-0179267.html
Ingredients
1 1/2 c warm water, 100F
1 T sugar
2 1/4 t dry, active yeast
3 1/2 c all purpose four
1/2 c light rye four
1/2 c whole wheat four
1/3 c melted butter (approx 2/3 stick)
2 t salt
1 t malt powder (or malt syrup, not malted
milk powder)
Lye Solution
32 oz water
6 t food grade lye (sodium hydroxide), avail-
able to purchase online
4 t salt
Pretzel salt