Rye Pretzels Recipes

RYE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine 1½ cups lukewarm water (110 to 115 degrees), yeast and honey in a large bowl; stir to combine. Add the rye flour, 2¾ cups all-purpose flour and kosher salt; stir again.
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 12 to 15 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup all-purpose flour if needed, until the dough is soft and smooth but not sticky. (Tip: to prevent dough from sticking to hands, rub a small amount of melted butter or vegetable oil on them.)
• Lightly brush a large bowl with some of the melted butter. Shape the dough into a ball, seam side down, and transfer to the bowl; brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm spot for up to 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Lightly brush two parchment-lined baking sheets with butter. Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 pieces. With your hands, roll one piece into a snake with thinly tapered ends, about 16 inches long. (Cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap while working.) Transfer to prepared baking sheet, looping one end, then the other, over the midpoint of the roll, making a pretzel shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Let the pretzels rest 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing two racks in and above the center of the oven. Meanwhile, bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot. When the pretzels are ready, stir the baking soda into the boiling water. (Note: if you double the recipe, make a fresh pot of the baking-soda wash for each batch.) Gently lift 2 or 3 pretzels, depending on the surface area of your pot, and slide them into the bath, knot side down. Poach for 30 seconds, turn them over and poach 30 seconds more. Using a long-handled mesh strainer, transfer the pretzels to a kitchen-towel-lined sheet tray to drain, then return them to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle freely with sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, until dark brown. Transfer to a cooling rack until just cool enough to eat. Brush the tops with melted butter, if you like. Serve with mustard.

SOUR RYE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat; set aside until cool.
• In the detached bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together yeast, 1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees), and a pinch of sugar. Set aside until mixture is foamy, about 6 minutes.
• Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. On low speed, add yogurt, onions, salt, caraway seeds, pepper, eggs, and rye flour. Slowly add enough all-purpose flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. Knead on medium-low speed until dough springs back when pressed with a finger, about 6 minutes. Brush the inside of a large mixing bowl with olive oil. Transfer dough to bowl; cover with oiled plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Sprinkle three large baking sheets with cornmeal. Using a kitchen scale, divide dough into 2-ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a 12- to 14-inch length, and make each into a U shape. Cross the end of the U, and then fold crossed ends so they are draped over bottom of the U. If desired, snip each end for a cleaner shape.
• Place pretzels, 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 25 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together remaining egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Brush tops with mixture; sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

SOFT RYE PRETZELS

Steps:

• 1. Measure the yeast into a large bowl. Heat 1½ cups of water over low heat, to about 100 °F. Add water to yeast, then add honey and stir. Add flours and kosher salt, and stir again. 2. Dump dough onto floured surface and knead. While kneading, slowly add up until ½ cup of flour, until dough is tacky but not sticky. Once this happens, don't add any more flour; knead for about 12 more minutes until dough is soft and supple. 3. Lightly brush bowl with melted butter. Add dough to bowl and cover with clean dish towel; let it rise for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in size. 4. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 450 °F. Once dough has doubled, remove from bowl and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 17"-long snake (without adding extra flour) and roll into pretzel knots. Let pretzels rise on buttered baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. 5. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add baking soda. Boil pretzels, one at a time; boil each side for 30 seconds. Use a strainer to remove pretzels and transfer them back to baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and bake for 15-18 minutes. Best eaten within the hour!

BAVARIAN-STYLE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a mixer), stir together syrup, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half the flour. Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture comes together in a shaggy mass.
• Turn out onto counter (or attach dough hook to mixer) and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and supple. Cut into 12 pieces and let rest 5 minutes.
• Roll out each piece into a rope about 22 inches long. (For traditional shape, the ends should be thin and the center fat.) Lift both ends, twist them around each other once, then bring ends back and press them on either side of fat "belly," at about 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Then gently spread out "shoulders" of pretzel. Transfer shaped pretzels to an ungreased baking sheet. (Alternatively, form each piece into a round or oval to make laugenbrötchen, rolls.)
• Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a deep bowl, wearing rubber or latex gloves, make a solution of 1/2 cup lye and 10 cups water (or 1 part lye to 20 parts water); pour lye carefully into water to avoid splashing. Dip each pretzel in solution, turning it over for 10 to 15 seconds, and place back on baking sheet.
• Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until deep brown. Remove to a rack and serve warm.

SOFT GIANT PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a bread machine pan, place 1 cup water and next 3 ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed., When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a 20-in. rope; form into pretzel shape. , Preheat oven to 425°. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water and the baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, 2 at a time; boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Spritz or lightly brush with remaining 2 Tbsp. water. Sprinkle with salt.