Saturday, August 21, 2010
Pretzel Bread // cdiggz on The Fresh Loaf
Recipe is in the comment thread under "Amish Soft Pretzel." I was looking for a new pretzel recipe to try, as I wasn't satisfied with the bagels-in-pretzel-shape that I ended up with a few days ago. I also wanted to try pretzel bread, where you have a pretzel-type sheen, texture and flavor, but in a roll or loaf. (A similar product can be seen at the Two Bites in Suburbia blog.)
Reading around, it seemed clear that the baking soda dip was crucial. I'd tried it in the past, but at that time I was under the impression that the water had to be boiling. This recipe, which was ideal for experimentation because of the low yield, simply calls for hot water in the dip.
Process: Mix ingredients, knead, allow to rise in warm kitchen; cut in two, shape into rough rolls on an oiled board (the dough was too sticky for much handling, despite having added some extra bread flour). Float each roll in the hot soda wash for about thirty seconds (I put each roll in bottom-up, then flipped halfway through the count) and transfer to cookie sheet. Slash an X in the top of each one. Bake for about 20 minutes (I thought maybe longer, but they were a good color already).
I had to let these sit a bit while the oven finished heating, and they spread and rose a bit more -- perhaps the reason that the slashes are so close in color to the crust.
Results: I forgot to sprinkle these with salt or seeds, but even so, they taste much more like pretzel than any bread I've attempted before. The soda wash definitely made a difference. The rolls aren't exactly shiny -- I imagine that I need a moist oven for that -- but there is a deep brown color and, more importantly, a characteristically sharp flavor on the crust, making this my new go-to for pretzel products.
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