Soft pretzels fresh from the oven are practically an out-of-body experience – especially when paired with beer cheese sauce, pungent mustard and a pint of a good beer.
Bad pretzels, on the other hand, are not worth the energy it takes to chew them. The disappointment of a stale or soggy pretzel can only be soothed with a significant amount of dark chocolate.
Don’t take chances on such despair. Homemade pretzels are not difficult, and with the right chemicals, safety gear and a friend to help shape and consume, this is a perfect activity for a Halloween weekend.
Like bagels, pretzels are made from a simple yeast dough that’s sweetened with malt syrup. After a short rise, they are shaped, submerged in a lye solution, and then baked for a few minutes. While a baking soda-based alkaline solution does produce pretzels with decent chew, a short bath in lye produces a much more robust color and flavor.
Working with food-grade lye (available online) does require a few precautions. Be sure to wear clean rubber gloves, eye covering and an apron or smock to protect against any splashes. Also, work in a well-ventilated area. We took this step outside to avoid any overwhelming fumes.
And before you write this recipe off as too much work – yes, I hate buying extra equipment and ingredients for one recipe, too. I am always open to substitutions, but after hearing the results of other homemade pretzel experiments, the mad scientist in me was curious enough to see for myself. The conclusion in our household was unanimous: pretzels dipped in lye had a much better aroma, chew and color than those made with baking soda solution and were by far the favorite.
We provided you with a lovely, roux-based beer cheese sauce, but if you feel like upping your mad scientist game this weekend, a little sodium citrate will take the creamy texture of your sauce to the next level.
The Shopping List*
2 Tbsp. malt syrup
1 Tbsp. (1¾ oz.) active dry yeast
4 to 4½ cup bread flour
½ cup food-grade lye
Coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp. flour or 5½ g. sodium citrate
6 oz. lager
3 to 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
Splash of Louisiana-style hot sauce
¼ tsp. paprika
*This list assumes you have kosher salt and butter at hand in your kitchen. If not, you will need to purchase those items, too.
Mad Scientist Pretzels
8 servings
1½ cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees)
2 Tbsp. malt syrup*
1 Tbsp. (1¾ oz.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 to 4½ cup bread flour
2 quarts cold water
½ cup food-grade lye**
Coarse sea salt
Special equipment: clean rubber gloves, protective eyewear, apron, large nonreactive (plastic or glass) bowl
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the warm water, yeast, malt syrup and kosher salt. Let rest 5 minutes until the liquid begins to bubble.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Increase to medium speed and knead the dough 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if it is too sticky. The dough should be soft, but not wet.
• Place the dough in a large mixing bowl and cover with a dry towel or oiled plastic wrap. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll and gently stretch the 1 piece of dough into a 2-foot long rope. To make a traditional pretzel, form the rope into a U-shape. Cross one side over the other, then twist and fold the ends down to the bottom of the U and press gently to adhere. Place the pretzel on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Don clean rubber gloves, protective eyeware and an apron. In a well-ventilated space, add the cold water and lye to a large nonreactive bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the lye dissolves.
• Use gloved hands to gently submerge 1 pretzel in the lye bath 10 seconds. Return to the baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the pretzels are browned. Remove from cooking sheet and cool on a rack. Serve with beer cheese sauce or coarse-grain mustard.
*Available at Whole Foods
**Available online
Beer Cheese Sauce No. 1
2 cups
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
6 oz. lager
3 to 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
Splash of Louisiana-style hot sauce
¼ tsp. paprika
• In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the flour and stir 2 minutes, scraping the sides to completely cook the flour. Add the beer and continue stirring until it warm.
• Add the cheese and stir until melted. Let simmer, stirring, until the beer has reduce and the cheese sauce reaches the desired consistency. A thick sauce takes about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the hot sauce and paprika and serve with pretzels. Sauce will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for several weeks.
Beer Cheese Sauce No. 2
Adapted from a recipe from The Modernist Cuisine
2 cups
6 oz. lager
5½ g. sodium citrate*
3 to 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
Splash of Louisiana-style hot sauce
¼ tsp. paprika
• In a small pot over medium-low heat, whisk together the beer and sodium citrate until the sodium citrate completely dissolves. Bring to a simmer.
• Whisk in the cheese 1 spoonful at a time until melted.
• Stir in the hot sauce and paprika and serve with pretzels. Sauce will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for several weeks.
* Available online
This article appears in October 2016.