Soft Pretzels (Brezel)

Step 1

Pour 1.25 cups of warm water (about the temperature of a hot bath) into a large bowl.

Step 2

Sprinkle 2.25 teaspoons of instant yeast over the water and wait 1 minute until it looks foamy and smells strongly yeasty.

Step 3

Add 1.5 teaspoons of salt to the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the salt dissolves.

Step 4

Pour 3.5 cups of flour into the bowl and stir with the wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough forms that pulls away from the bowl sides.

Step 5

Sprinkle a little flour on the counter, turn the dough out onto it, and knead by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and repeating for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Step 6

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover it with a damp kitchen towel, and set it in a warm spot for 1 hour until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 425°F and wait for the indicator light or beep to confirm it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 8

Turn the risen dough out onto a clean counter and divide it into 6 equal pieces using a bench scraper or knife.

Step 9

Roll the first piece of dough into a long rope about 24 inches long by rolling it away from you under your palms, using light pressure and working from the center outward.

Step 10

Form the rope into a U-shape by lifting the two ends and bringing them together, then cross one end over the other to create the classic pretzel twist, and pinch the ends to the sides of the U.

Step 11

Place the shaped pretzel on a piece of parchment paper and repeat steps 9–10 with the remaining dough pieces.

Step 12

Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water and bring it to a boil over high heat, then stir in 0.25 cup of baking soda until it stops bubbling.

Step 13

Using a slotted spatula, gently slide one pretzel into the baking soda water and leave it for 30 seconds until it sinks, then lift it out with the spatula and place it on a fresh piece of parchment.

Step 14

Repeat step 13 with each remaining pretzel, using fresh parchment for each one.

Step 15

Transfer all boiled pretzels to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Step 16

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt evenly over all the pretzels, using your fingertips to distribute it.

Step 17

Bake the pretzels in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes until the surface turns deep golden brown, like caramelized honey.

Step 18

Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and let the pretzels cool on the pan for 5 minutes before serving.