Homemade Pretzels

📝 Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 1 sachet dried yeast (5 g)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 15 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 l water + 30 g bicarbonate of soda (for the bath)
• 1 tsp fleur de sel

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Clean tea towel
• Baking tray + baking paper
• Large wide saucepan
• Slotted spoon
• Wire rack

📖 Steps

1. In a bowl, mix the lukewarm water (barely warm on your wrist, about 37 °C), the yeast and the sugar. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes, until a light foam forms on the surface: that's the sign the yeast is active.
2. In the mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt. Make a well, pour in the yeast mixture and melted butter, then stir with a spoon until the dough comes together into a ball.
3. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes on a lightly floured work surface, until the dough is smooth, supple and no longer sticks to your fingers. Return it to the bowl, cover with the tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place, until doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Knock back the dough and divide it into 8 pieces of about 55 g. Roll each into a 40 cm rope, thicker in the middle and thin at the ends. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes, then carry on.
5. Shape: form the rope into a U, twist the ends over each other twice, then fold them down and press them onto the bottom of the U. Place the pretzels on the baking tray lined with baking paper as you go.
6. Bring 1 l water to the boil in the saucepan and add the bicarbonate of soda a little at a time: the mixture foams up a lot. Reduce to a simmer and dip the pretzels in one or two at a time for 30 seconds, turning them halfway through with the slotted spoon.
7. Drain them and put them back on the tray, best side up. Sprinkle with fleur de sel straight away, then score the thick part with a knife, 5 mm deep, so it opens up nicely as it bakes.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pretzels are dark brown and shiny: don't take them out too early, as it's this colour that gives them their flavour. Leave to cool for 10 minutes on the wire rack.