Video available at: http://youtu.be/KTGjIvGEU08
Ingredients
2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp softened butter
1 heaping tbsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups warm water
5 1/2 cups AP flour (divided roughly in half)
For soaking:
5 cups water
1/4 cup food grade lye.
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer except for the flour. Allow 15 minutes for the yeast to bloom. Add half of the flour and mix in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. (you can do this by hand too, but probably don't want to.) As the dough comes togater, slowly add the remaining flour. Once dough has come togather and has a smooth surface, allow to rise for 30 minutes (cover with a damp towel).
After the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer to a work surface. Using a pizza cutter, dough scraper, or other tool of your choosing, cut a strip of dough off and roll out until you have a two foot long strand. (If you have too little dough to get it that long, just make a smaller pretzel) Hold the dough at both ends so it forms a U shape. Make one full twist a little more than half way up and fole over to make a pretzel shap. Repeat until all dough has been used. (Hint: cover the ball of dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out) Allow to rise for 15 minutes on the counter and then move to the refridgerator for at least an hour. A longer time in the refridgerator will helf the yeast flavors more fully develop, but try not to wait more than 24 hours to proceed to the next step.
Done protective gloves and goggles. CAREFULLY add lye to the 5 cups of water in a non-reactive vessel and stir until completely disolved. Before baking, submerge pretzels one at a time for 30 seconds each. Apply salt or other seasoning and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. The lye will break down in the oven, yeilding safe to eat pretzels.
Yeilds 8 to 12 pretzels.
