Soft Pretzels - Philly Style
Philly style pretzels are NOT fluffy. They are dense, slightly sweet and salty andalmost chewy. It’s hard to describe, but based on what I know about those pretzels and
the grains I have on hand - Durum is required for this one. If you make a lot of pasta, you
probably have it. Khorasan (Kamut) or Emmer are interchangeable for Durum.
This reminds me of what it was like as a kid watching them make Pennsylvania
dutch style pretzels. The dough was thick, heavier and tougher than your usual fun to
play with bread dough. I kneaded this in four smaller batches since I made these by
hand, and I let the dough rest for better gluten development.
Scaled Ingredients
- 500 g wheat berries, hard
- 500 g wheat berries, Durum
- Dr. Mel's Quick No-Wait Yudane:
- 50 g flour, any (take from the milled flour)
- 100 g water, boiling
- Remaining Dough Ingredients
- 620 g water, cold
- 30 g sea salt
- 12 g yeast
- 12 g sugar, granulated
- 40 g butter
- Water Bath
- 1792 g water, boiling (4 cups)
- 36 g baking soda (4 tsp baking soda)
- Egg Wash
- 100 g egg, whole (1 egg)
- 24 g water (1 tbsp)
- Topping:
- 0 g salt, pretzel (coarse) (to taste)
Portions
Scale by
Directions
-
Mill the flour.
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Make the Yudane by mixing 25 grams of milled flour with 50 grams of boiling water. Mix it quickly into a paste.
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Add water to your mixing bowl with Yudane and sugar. Give it a swirl, then add salt and yeast.
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Add remaining flour to the bowl and begin mixing with a danish dough whisk (or by hand if you like). Add in butter, and continue mixing for several minutes by hand.
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Rest the dough for 30 minutes and knead for a few more minutes until the dough is more pliable and workable.
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Let the dough rise until doubled.
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Punch down the dough (we did it the fun way this time).
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Scale (divide) the dough into 4 parts, and take one section out at a time for shaping. Keep the remaining dough covered with a damp towel.
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Divide the section into 4, and shape each one into a pretzel.
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Simple Shaping:
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Roll out a long log
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Turn up the ends to make a “U” shape
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Take the top right end, and turn it down to make the number “6”
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Cross the other side over to complete the pretzel
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Multiple Twist Pretzel Shaping:
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Roll out a long log shape
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Make a “U” shape by turning up the ends
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Twist the two ends over each other two or three times. You choose which you like better.
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Lift the ends up and press them down at the bottom of the loop to form the pretzel.
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Proofing/Baking:
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Proof the shaped pretzels for 30 minutes before freezing for 30 minutes.
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Bring water bath ingredients to a boil, and immerse each pretzel for 1-2 minutes, then place on baking tray lined with parchment.
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Mix egg wash ingredients together with a fork or a whisk.
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Brush each pretzel with egg wash using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt or kosher pretzel salt.
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425 degrees F 10-15 minutes until nicely browned.
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Remove from oven and pan to cool on a wire rack.
Recipes From This Base
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Philly style pretzels are NOT fluffy. They are dense, slightly sweet and salty andalmost chewy. It’s hard to describe, but based on what I know about those pretzels and
the grains I have on hand - Durum is required for this one. If you make a lot of pasta, you
probably have it. Khorasan (Kamut) or Emmer are interchangeable for Durum.
This reminds me of what it was like as a kid watching them make Pennsylvania
dutch style pretzels. The dough was thick, heavier and tougher than your usual fun to
play with bread dough. I kneaded this in four smaller batches since I made these by
hand, and I let the dough rest for better gluten development. Download PDF