medtran49
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Pretzel buns (Makes 4, can be easily doubled)
This is a very soft bun with a very, very thin crisp outer layer. See option if you want a chewier/sturdier bun.
Baking the baking soda per the directions made a definite difference in the amount of browning that took place. It also made a difference in the smell when boiling and baking the buns, much sharper than any pretzel bread I had made previously. I just recently learned the baking soda hack. They came out a little too dark, which could have been because my new oven seems to run a little hot and I haven't tried the adjustment instructions yet or because of the intensity of the baking soda/water mixture. So, in the recipe below, I have adjusted the baking soda/water proportions to be a bit less intense.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1-1/8 tsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (Optional: Replace 1/4 cup AP flour with whole wheat if you want a chewier/stockier bun.)
1/2 cup bread flour
1/4 tsp salt (1/8 if putting salt on top)
1/8 cup baking soda
2-1/2 to 3 cups water
Pretzel salt or coarse ground sea salt, for sprinkling (Optional)
Directions:
In a small skillet, over medium heat, melt butter, add garlic, stir until garlic is fragrant, remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, brown sugar, and honey to 105-110 degrees F. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over, mix, and allow to stand until yeast foams and bubbles. Add both flours and garlic/butter mixture. Mix on low, scraping down, until you have a cohesive dough. Turn mixer up to medium and mix for 5-7 minutes until you have a smooth dough and mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. Dough will be soft and just very, very slightly sticky. Remove bowl from mixer, cover, and allow to rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Place baking soda on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Set aside. Baking the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) changes its chemical composition to sodium carbonate, which is chemically closer to lye, which is what professionals use to make pretzels.
After dough is risen, on a floured board, divide into 4 equal parts and form into balls. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Then, flatten balls and pat/stretch into 4 inch disks. Place on 5 inch square pieces of parchment paper on top of a wire rack. Cover with something light, like foil or paper towels or Pam sprayed plastic wrap or wax paper. Allow to rise for 30-45 minutes. Obviously, for hot dogs, you would shape like a hot dog bun and use parchment rectangles 1/2 inch bigger around.
Preheat oven to 425.
Place the water and baking soda into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Place the rack holding the buns over the sink or a large bowl. Using a fine mesh sieve and a cup measure, Gently pour the baking soda/water mixture over each bun. The sieve will disperse the liquid more evenly. Coat each bun once, then repeat 2 more times. Transfer buns on their parchment square to a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet with a wide spatula, making sure to drain off any excess liquid from the parchment square.
Using a lame or very sharp knife, lightly slash an X into each bun. Place in oven and bake 13-15 minutes, rotating pan once and tenting with foil if they are getting too brown. Cool on a wire rack.
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