Soft Pretzel Brezels

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2.25 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tablespoons coarse pretzel salt or sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour 1 cup of warm water (about body temperature — hold your clean finger in it and count to 3; it should feel neutral, not hot) into a large bowl.

2. 2

   Sprinkle 2.25 teaspoons of instant yeast into the water and wait 1 minute until the surface looks foamy and smells like bread, then stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3. 3

   Add 3 cups of flour and 1.5 teaspoons of salt to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a rough, shaggy dough forms in the bowl.

4. 4

   Place the dough onto a clean countertop and knead by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back toward you, rotating it a quarter turn, and repeating for 8 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic (it should spring back gently when you poke it).

5. 5

   Lightly oil a bowl with a few drops of neutral oil, place the dough inside, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and set it in a warm, draft-free spot (like a turned-off oven) for 30 minutes until it roughly doubles in size.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then wait until the indicator light turns off or you hear a beep to confirm the oven has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Turn the risen dough out onto a clean countertop, divide it into 4 equal portions by cutting it with a knife into quarters, and roll each quarter gently into a ball.

8. 8

   Take one dough ball and roll it on the countertop under your hands, moving your hands from the center outward, until it forms a rope about 24 inches long and roughly the thickness of your pinky finger.

9. 9

   Form the rope into a pretzel shape by making a U-loop with the bottom part, then crossing the two top ends over each other and tucking them down into the loop, pressing gently so they stick.

10. 10

    Place the shaped pretzel on the prepared baking sheet and repeat steps 8–9 with the remaining three dough balls, spacing them about 3 inches apart.

11. 11

    Beat 1 egg in a small bowl with a fork until the yolk and white are fully mixed, then use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash over the entire surface of each pretzel, coating all the exposed dough.

12. 12

    Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of coarse pretzel salt evenly over all four pretzels, pressing gently so the salt sticks to the egg wash.

13. 13

    Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 16–18 minutes until the pretzels turn a deep golden-brown color (like warm caramel), then remove the sheet and set it on a heat-safe surface.

14. 14

    Let the pretzels cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so the crust sets, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• clean countertop or cutting board
• kitchen towel
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• oven with thermometer
• small bowl
• fork
• pastry brush
• knife for cutting dough

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