Pretzels

Pretzels: Submitted by: Kimmo Vallema | Date Added: 20 Dec 2020 Ingredients:

3/4 cup (175 ml) water

1/2 cup (120 ml) plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) low-fat cow’s milk, divided

1 package (9 g) quick-rising yeast

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (26 g) Sucanat or brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (250 g) unbleached flour

1/3 cup (35 g) ground flaxseed

About 1 cup (125 g) whole-wheat pastry flour

Olive oil cooking spray

1 egg

Topping Options

Kosher salt, to taste

Garlic salt, to taste

Fresh-grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

In a small pan, combine the water and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the milk and heat over medium heat until very warm, but not steaming hot. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the yeast, oil, Sucanat, and salt, stirring until mostly dissolved. Add the flour (unbleached only, not the whole-wheat) and flaxseed and stir to combine well. Add the whole-wheat pastry flour, about 1/3 cup (42 g) at a time, stirring in between until it forms a dough (you may not need the full cup, or you may need a little more than a cup).

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 3 minutes, until very smooth and elastic. Return to the mixing bowl, cover with plastic, and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) and spray 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Set aside.

To make the classic German pretzel shape, pull off a chunk of dough about the size of a table tennis ball, and roll into a long tube (about 15 inches, or 38 cm) about the width of a thumb. Form the tube into a U shape, then cross and twist the tube ends about 3 inches (7.5 cm) from the top. Pick up the whole crossed section and flip it over, downward, so the ends of the tubes meet the bottom of the U. It should be recognizable as a pretzel now. Press the tips firmly into the lower curve so they will stay in place, and adjust the shape to your liking.

Place it on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until the dough is used up.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk together, and brush thoroughly over all the pretzels. Let them sit on the baking sheets for another 10 minutes to rise again.

Bake for 15 minutes and remove to brush again with the egg and milk. Sprinkle lightly with any of the suggested toppings, and return to bake for about 10 more minutes, or until they are nicely golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Using a spatula, carefully remove to wire racks and let cool to desired temperature.