Soft Pretzels

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the dough

   Stir the warm water and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until the sugar dissolves, then sprinkle the instant yeast over the top. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter. Mix with the dough hook on low until no dry flour remains, about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

2. 2

   Knead

   Turn the mixer to medium-low and knead for 6 to 7 minutes. You're after a firm, smooth dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and feels tacky but not sticky when you press it — noticeably stiffer than a sandwich bread dough. If it clings to the bowl, work in flour a tablespoon at a time; if it's cracking and dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. By hand, knead 10 to 12 minutes on a lightly floured counter.

3. 3

   Rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, set it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, until roughly doubled. A finger poked into the side should leave a dent that fills back in slowly.

4. 4

   Heat the oven and the bath

   Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat it to 450°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment and brush the parchment lightly with oil — pretzels stick to bare parchment once they've been boiled. Bring the 10 cups of water to a boil in a wide 6-quart pot, then add the baking soda a spoonful at a time. It will foam up hard, so go slowly and stand back.

5. 5

   Divide and roll

   Turn the dough onto an unfloured counter and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 115g each. Roll each piece under your palms into a rope 22 to 24 inches long, working from the center outward and keeping the middle slightly thicker than the ends. A bare counter gives you the friction you need — flour makes the rope slide instead of stretch. If a rope fights back, set it aside and roll another, then come back to it.

6. 6

   Shape

   Lay a rope in a wide U with the ends pointing away from you. Cross the ends over each other, twist them around once more, then fold the twist down onto the bottom curve and press the tips firmly into the dough. Press harder than feels necessary — the boil loosens any lazy seams. Set the shaped pretzels on the oiled parchment.

7. 7

   Boil

   Lower pretzels into the simmering soda bath one or two at a time, face up, and cook exactly 30 seconds. They'll bob to the surface and turn a dull yellowish color. Lift them out with a flat slotted skimmer, let the water drain off for a few seconds, and return them to the pan. Don't go past 30 seconds or the crust picks up a soapy, metallic edge.

8. 8

   Wash and salt

   Whisk the egg yolk with the tablespoon of water and brush it evenly over each boiled pretzel, getting into the crevices. Scatter coarse salt over the tops right away, while the wash is still wet.

9. 9

   Bake

   Bake one pan at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway, until the pretzels are a deep chestnut brown. Pale pretzels taste flat — push the color further than you think you should, to a shade just short of the burnt tips on a mall pretzel. Brush with melted butter the moment they come out, then cool on a rack for 5 minutes and eat warm.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Weigh the flour if you can. A heavy cup or two of flour turns this from a firm, rollable dough into a dry one that cracks when you shape it.

• 2.

  Fresh baking soda matters. An old box that's been deodorizing the fridge will carry those smells straight into the crust.

• 3.

  For a darker, maltier pretzel, bake the baking soda first: spread it on a foil-lined pan and heat at 250°F for an hour. That converts it to a stronger alkali and gets you closer to a traditional lye finish.

• 4.

  Short on time at the shaping stage? Cut the ropes into 1 1/2-inch pieces for pretzel bites. Boil them 20 seconds and bake 9 to 11 minutes.

• 5.

  The dough can rise slowly in the fridge overnight instead. Let it sit out for 30 minutes before you roll, or the ropes will snap back.

• 6.

  Swap the salt for cinnamon sugar after baking — brush generously with butter first, skip the egg wash salt, and toss while hot.

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook (or sturdy hands)
• Wide 6-quart pot
• Flat slotted skimmer or large slotted spoon
• Two half-sheet pans
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• Kitchen scale
• Wire cooling rack

Storage