Pretzel Baking for the Home Baker
with Heath McReynolds
Rhein Haus Head Baker
Specialty Equipment
Stand Mixer with hook attachment
Two Silicone Baking Mats
For Handling Lye
Rubber gloves
Goggles
Specialty Ingredients
Instant Dry Yeast
Barley Malt Syrup
Pretzel Salt
Sodium hydroxide pellets a.k.a. Lye
(Lye can be found on Amazon.com, search “food
grade lye.” Lye can also be purchased at
hardware stores. Barley Malt Syrup can be found
on Amazon or at PCC or Whole Foods)
Makes approximately 12 large pretzels
IngredientWeightVolume
Bread Flour
2 lbs. 4 oz 7 cups
Instant Dry Yeast 3/4 oz
2 Tablespoons
Water(90° F)
22 fl oz
2 3/4 cups
Unsalted butter
4 oz
1 stick
cubed, soft
Barley Malt Syrup 2 oz
2 Tablespoons
Salt
1 oz
1 Tbls, 2 tsp.
Lye Solution
Water (90° F)
Lye
Coarse salt,
for garnish
64 oz
8 cups
2 1/2 oz
4 Tablespoons
as needed
1. Whisk to combine the water, malt syrup and
yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour
and salt. Mix on low speed with the dough hook
attachment and begin to add soft butter. Once
dough comes together, mix on low for 4 minutes.
2. Place dough in large, oiled rectangular pan,
such as a casserole dish. Cover and allow to
double in size, about 50 minutes.
3. Turn out the dough onto work surface. Press
down on the dough to de-gas and cut into 12 even
pieces (5 1/4 oz. each) with a bench scraper. Starting with a rectangular shape roll portion into a log
shape and place onto floured sheet. Refrigerate
uncovered for at least 30 min. until dough is chilled
through.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Shape pretzels
by first rolling center tight (into a dog bone shape)
then rolling out end pieces until the dough is
approximately 16” long and slightly thicker in the
middle and skinnier on the ends. Repeat for each
piece of dough.
5. To form the pretzel shape lay the dough on the
table and cross the ends over each other, leaving 3
inches of dough on each side of the crossing point
(the thicker center of the dough should be closest to
you). Twist the ends together once. Bring the ends
of the dough over and attach them to either side of
the thicker center of the dough, pressing gently to
seal them. (See drawing on back.) Transfer back to
floured sheet pans.
6. Proof, uncovered on floured sheets for
approximately 15-30 minutes.
7. Refrigerate shaped pretzels for 30 minutes to chill
before dipping in lye solution.
8. To prepare lye solution, combine the lukewarm
water and sodium hydroxide pellets in a stainless
steel or plastic container, stirring until the pellets
Completely dissolve.
(Reminder: wear protective gloves and goggles. Be
careful not to get any of the solution on your skin,
but if you do, use vinegar to wipe it off)
9. Using your hands with rubber gloves on, or
tongs, carefully dip the pretzels in the lye
solution for 12-15 seconds each and then place
them on silicone baking mat lined sheet pans.
Sprinkle pretzels with coarse pretzel salt.
10. Discard the lye solution once you have
finished removing pretzels by pouring it down
the drain.
11. Bake the pretzels in a 475° oven until deep
golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the
sheet pan on the bottom oven rack to the top
rack and visa versa, halfway through baking.
Cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy with
mustard or Obatzda cheese (recipe below).
Notes:___________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Forming a Pretzel
From left to right
Place the dough in a U shape on the table and cross the ends.
Twist the ends together once.
Bring the ends back down and gently press to adhere.
Obatzda - Bavarian pub cheese
IngredientsWeightVolume
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
16 oz
2 cups
Piquillo Peppers, chopped
2 oz
4 Tbls.
Sharp White Cheddar,
3 oz
3/4 cup
grated
Unsalted butter, softened
2 oz
4 Tbls.
Shallot, minced1 tsp.
Salt.5 tsp.
Smoked Paprika1.5 tsp.
Add all ingredients to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Blend on medium-low until well
incorporated, about 2 minutes.
Note on ingredients: Piquillo Peppers can be found jarred in the Hispanic or Italian section of the grocery
store. We recommend using Beecher’s White Cheddar.