Food & Wine USA - (10)October 2020

28 OCTOBER 2020

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UNDERNEATH THE TWISTS and turns of their

salt-studded mahogany surface, most pretzels

are pretty basic—just flour, water, and yeast,

kneaded and folded into that iconic criss-

cross shape. But all it takes is a few additional

ingredients to transform ho-hum soft pretzels

into something magical. A few pats of but-

ter, barley malt syrup for earthy sweetness,

and replacing some of the water with beer all

lend depth for a more rustic, nuanced taste.

An extended fermentation in the refrigerator

overnight—rather than a quick rise—adds even

more complexity, as does topping the pretzels

with crunchy flaky sea salt.

But it’s the distinctive “pretzel” flavor that

makes this bread extraordinary. That comes

from dipping the shaped dough in an alkaline

solution—traditionally a small amount of

food-grade lye dissolved in water—before bak-

ing. And though that’s fine for professionals,

lye is hard to source (and even harder to

handle) for home cooks due to its highly cor-

rosive properties.

Years ago, while researching my first book,

Pretzel Making at Home, I learned a great trick

from food scientist Harold McGee, who had

discovered that heating baking soda in a low

oven alters its pH, making it more similar to

lye. His baked baking soda is the secret ingre-

dient for these exceptional homemade pret-

zels. But while it’s far easier and safer to work

with than lye, you can take extra precaution

and wear gloves while dipping the pretzels to

avoid any discomfort.

After you’ve mastered the classic knot, have

fun experimenting with different shapes. Just

be sure to serve these pretzels with your favor-

ite mustard for dipping and plenty of cold beer.

Prost! —ANDREA SLONECKER

BAVARIAN PRETZELS

ROLL DOUGH INTO ROPES

Roll dough into 30-inch-long ropes,

leaving middles about 1 inch in diameter

and gently tapering ends.

FORM ROPE INTO U SHAPE

Arrange each 30-inch dough rope in a U

shape, positioning ends of the U pointing

away from you.

1 2

CROSS

Holding one end in each hand, lift and

cross them over each other about 5

inches down from the ends of the U.

CROSS AGAIN

Cross dough ends a second time, passing

ends to opposite hands, creating a twist

in the dough.

3 4

5

FOLD AND PRESS

Holding ends and maintaining twist, fold ends back toward the bottom of the U. Press

ends into bottom of U at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock. Gently transfer shaped pretzels to a

parchment paper–lined baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise.