Soft Pretzels

Pretzels have always held a soft, salty, comforting place in my heart. I can't tell you the number of times I've been schlepping through a train station in a distant Germanic country only to realize that I have just enough money/time to quickly snatch a pretzel and some mustard before I have to make a train. They've kept me going, and for this I thank them.

It's been my custom (all right, I've done it twice) here in Portland to host movie nights, which basically means that I get to wax poetic about the virtues of the French New Wave while my friends eat food and drink beer. What's not to like? We're having one such get-together and as our movie of choice is the classic German serial killer film M, I thought it was only fitting that we grab some sausage, some sauerkraut, some beer and roll out a few of these beautiful soft pretzels.

Peter Reinhart is one of my pantheon of culinary gods, and his wonderful book Artisan Bread Every Day has been invaluable to me in understanding exactly how bread works. This wonderful pretzel recipe has never failed. They're best eaten the day they're baked (the salt tends to soak up moisture) but they're soft, warm, salty and perfect with a liberal application of mustard. You could shake things up a bit and make a sweet version with cinnamon sugar or the toppings of your choice, but so far I've kept to the classic route.

Roll dough out to roughly 17 inches

Twirl the pretzel ends around each other

Press ends into dough to form pretzel

Dip in baking soda solution

Sprinkle with coarse sea salt

So whether you're hosting your own classic German murder movie night or if you just want to engender some good feelings among your roommates these pretzels are pretty much a solid bet in any occasion. Rolling them out and shaping them is basically like getting to play with play-doh again. Plus, all their rising is done overnight in the refrigerator, they're a cinch to make as well.

Peter Reinhart's Soft Pretzels (From Artisan Breads Every Day)

4 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour  
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon instant yeast 
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 95 degrees F)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
8 teaspoons baking soda, for dipping
2 cups warm water (about 100 degrees F)
Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt, for garnish

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar. In a different bowl, combine the water and yeast and let sit for about 1 minute. Next, add the water/yeast mixture and the oil into the bowl with the flour, salt, and sugar.

Use a wooden spoon and stir everything together. It should not take longer than a minute and you should be left with a coarse ball. Now continue mixing by hand for about 2 minutes and subsequently let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Again mix by hand for 3 minutes, adjusting the water or flour as needed to form a smooth, lightly tacky ball (tacky means that when you poke a finger in the dough a bit will cling to your finger but will eventually let go. If you get dough stuck to your finger, it is too sticky and needs a bit more flour!) On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for one minute, form a ball and place it in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.

On the day you plan to bake combine the baking soda with warm water in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Right after taking the dough out of the refrigerator divide the dough into fourths, and then fourths again (to create 16 small squares roughly equal in size--about 2 oz. each.) Rolling each in a bit of flour to begin, roll the sections into 17-inch long ropes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and mist with spray oil. Twist the ends of the dough together and press down (see above) to create pretzels shapes. Dip them into the baking soda/water solution. Place them on the pan and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 8 to 10 minutes. Let the pretzels cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before devouring. Enjoy!