Ingredients
Sourdough starter
- 10g sourdough starter
- 60g water
- 55g all purpose flour or bread flour
- 5g rye flour
Dough
- 500g bread flour (100%) +/- 20g flour if needed
- 190g water (38%)
- 100g sourdough starter/levain (30%)
- 50g sugar (10%)
- 1 egg
- 10g salt (2%)
- 35g oil without flavor (7%)
- 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)
Garnish
- Sea salt (optional)
- Melted butter for brushing baked pretzel buns (optional)
Boiling
- Wide pot
- 1 gallon of water
- 3 tbs baking soda
Lye bath
• Plastic container
• gloves
• plastic spoon
• 900g water
• 30g lye
Directions
Day 1
Starter
- 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
Dough
- Add all the ingredients, except oil, into a mixing bowl, knead for 5-10 minutes until well incorporated, at the end of mixing add pour oil, continue to mix for a 4-6 more minutes, until gluten is developed.
- Cover and let it rise until the dough becomes lighter and bigger with bubbles on the surface for about 3-4 hours, perform a couple of folds during this time.
Shaping
- Prepare baking tray with parchment paper generously oiled.
- Place the dough onto a non-floured surface. Flatten the dough and divide on a pieces about 50-55 grams each, shape them them as balls, by pinching all the sides into the center.
- Set the pretzel buns on a prepared baking tray. Cover and let them proof for about 2 hours at 76-80F (until they become puffy).
- When proofing is done, move the pretzel buns into the fridge for 30 minutes (it will help to transfer them into boiling water later).
Boiling
- While the dough chills in the fridge boil the water. Add baking soda and whisk well to have it dissolved.
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C).
- Remove the pretzel buns from the fridge, put 4 of them into the pot with boiling water and wait for them to float on the surface (5 seconds or less). Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side for a thin crust. Using a slotted spoon, remove your pretzel buns from the boiling water, and place them on a well oiled parchment paper, let them cool for about 1 minute.
- Use scoring lame to make an “X” shaped cut on top of each bun.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on top (optional).
Lye bath (if using)
• Wear gloves, add lye to a container with water, deep each pretzel, let soak 10 sec. Transfer to a tray covered with parchment paper.
Baking
- Bake pretzel bunsfor about 25-27 minutes until they turn nice and brown.
- Brush them with melted butter, while still hot for more flavor.