Honey-Wheat Pretzel Twists
Serves: 5
Shirley Senger
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
50
Spice
55
Sweetness
49
Sourness
40
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.1
Difficulty
Ingredients:
120 ml
Milk (whole or 2 percent)1 tsps
Active Dry Yeast3 tbsps
Honey125 g
Wheat Flour (whole-)1 tsps
Fine Sea Salt8 l
WaterDirections:
1
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches between 100 and 115°F/38 and 45°C
2
Immediately pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast
3
Add 1 tbsp of the honey, stirring until it is dissolved
4
Allow the yeast to bloom until it is foamy, 5 to 7 minutes
5
Add the remaining 2 tbsp of honey, the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, butter, and fine sea salt to the yeast mixture and stir to form a shaggy mass
6
Attach the bowl and the dough hook to the stand mixer and begin kneading on medium-low speed
7
After about 1 minute the dough will form a smooth ball
8
The dough should be quite firm and may be slightly tacky, but not sticky
9
(If it is sticky, add a little more flour, about 1 tbsp at a time, and knead it in until the dough is smooth
10
If the dough is too dry to come together, add more water, 1 tsp at a time
11
) Continue kneading the dough on medium speed until it is elastic, 5 to 7 minutes
12
Alternatively, turn the shaggy dough out onto an unfloured work surface and knead it by hand
13
Choose a bowl that will be large enough to contain the dough after it has doubled in size, and lightly grease it with butter
14
Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap
15
Set the dough aside at room temperature (in a warm spot) to rise until it has doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours
16
Line two 12-by-17-in/30
17
5-by-43-cm rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
18
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and press it down to deflate
19
Cut it into four equal portions, and divide each portion into five small chunks of dough
20
Work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel
21
Pat a piece of dough down with your fingertips and then roll it up tightly, beginning with a long side, into a cylinder
22
Shape the dough into a rope 20 in/50 cm long by rolling it against the work surface with your palms, working from the center of the dough to the ends and applying light, even pressure to avoid tapering them
23
If you need more friction, spray the counter with a little water from a squirt bottle or drizzle a few drops of water and spread it with your hand
24
It is important that the dough be rolled out to the correct length or it will be too thick to harden while baking
25
Roll another piece of dough into a rope in this same manner
26
Twist the two dough ropes together sixteen times, spacing the twists out evenly
27
Place the twisted dough rope on one of the prepared baking sheets and cover it with a damp towel
28
Repeat this process with the remaining dough, spacing out the ropes on the baking sheets at least 1 in/2
29
5 cm apart and covering them with a damp towel
30
When the first baking sheet is filled with five twisted ropes, transfer the tray to the refrigerator while you shape the rest of the pretzels to prevent the first batch from overproofing
31
When all the pretzels are shaped, you will have ten twisted ropes
32
Place both trays out, covered, at warm room temperature to rise until they have doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes
33
(The pretzels can be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 8 hours before dipping and baking them
34
) At least 20 minutes before baking, do two things: First, position one rack in the upper third and another rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F/165°C/gas 3; second, prepare the boiling water for dipping
35
Bring the water to a gentle simmer in a large pot
36
Just before dipping the pretzels, use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut each dough rope into four segments about 5 in/12 cm long
37
Working in four batches, use a large skimmer to drop the pretzels gently into the water
38
Leave them in the water for about 20 seconds, carefully turning them once after 10 seconds
39
Remove the pretzels from the water, drain, and return them to the baking sheets, spacing them out at least 1/2 in/12 mm apart
40
If the twists unwind, simply retwist them
41
Repeat with the remaining pretzels
42
Brush the tops of the pretzels with a light coating of the egg wash and sprinkle them with coarse salt
43
Bake the pretzels for 20 minutes, and then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom
44
Continue baking until the pretzels are deeply browned, about 17 to 25 minutes more
45
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the pretzels to cool to room temperature
46
Once cooled, test a pretzel for doneness by breaking it in half
47
If the center is still a little chewy, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C/gas 2 and return the pretzels to the oven to finish hardening to a crisp
48
This could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes more
49
(Note that if you have some thicker pretzels and some thinner, the thinner ones may be done, while the thicker ones need a little more baking
50
) Test a pretzel after about 10 minutes, and in 5-minute increments after that
51
When they are hard, transfer the pretzels to a cooling rack
52
Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks
53
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches between 100 and 115°F/38 and 45°C
54
Immediately pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast
55
Add 1 tbsp of the honey, stirring until it is dissolved
56
Allow the yeast to bloom until it is foamy, 5 to 7 minutes
57
Add the remaining 2 tbsp of honey, the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, butter, and fine sea salt to the yeast mixture and stir to form a shaggy mass
58
Attach the bowl and the dough hook to the stand mixer and begin kneading on medium-low speed
59
After about 1 minute the dough will form a smooth ball
60
The dough should be quite firm and may be slightly tacky, but not sticky
61
(If it is sticky, add a little more flour, about 1 tbsp at a time, and knead it in until the dough is smooth
62
If the dough is too dry to come together, add more water, 1 tsp at a time
63
) Continue kneading the dough on medium speed until it is elastic, 5 to 7 minutes
64
Alternatively, turn the shaggy dough out onto an unfloured work surface and knead it by hand
65
Choose a bowl that will be large enough to contain the dough after it has doubled in size, and lightly grease it with butter
66
Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap
67
Set the dough aside at room temperature (in a warm spot) to rise until it has doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours
68
Line two 12-by-17-in/30
69
5-by-43-cm rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
70
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and press it down to deflate
71
Cut it into four equal portions, and divide each portion into five small chunks of dough
72
Work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel
73
Pat a piece of dough down with your fingertips and then roll it up tightly, beginning with a long side, into a cylinder
74
Shape the dough into a rope 20 in/50 cm long by rolling it against the work surface with your palms, working from the center of the dough to the ends and applying light, even pressure to avoid tapering them
75
If you need more friction, spray the counter with a little water from a squirt bottle or drizzle a few drops of water and spread it with your hand
76
It is important that the dough be rolled out to the correct length or it will be too thick to harden while baking
77
Roll another piece of dough into a rope in this same manner
78
Twist the two dough ropes together sixteen times, spacing the twists out evenly
79
Place the twisted dough rope on one of the prepared baking sheets and cover it with a damp towel
80
Repeat this process with the remaining dough, spacing out the ropes on the baking sheets at least 1 in/2
81
5 cm apart and covering them with a damp towel
82
When the first baking sheet is filled with five twisted ropes, transfer the tray to the refrigerator while you shape the rest of the pretzels to prevent the first batch from overproofing
83
When all the pretzels are shaped, you will have ten twisted ropes
84
Place both trays out, covered, at warm room temperature to rise until they have doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes
85
(The pretzels can be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 8 hours before dipping and baking them
86
) At least 20 minutes before baking, do two things: First, position one rack in the upper third and another rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F/165°C/gas 3; second, prepare the boiling water for dipping
87
Bring the water to a gentle simmer in a large pot
88
Just before dipping the pretzels, use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut each dough rope into four segments about 5 in/12 cm long
89
Working in four batches, use a large skimmer to drop the pretzels gently into the water
90
Leave them in the water for about 20 seconds, carefully turning them once after 10 seconds
91
Remove the pretzels from the water, drain, and return them to the baking sheets, spacing them out at least 1/2 in/12 mm apart
92
If the twists unwind, simply retwist them
93
Repeat with the remaining pretzels
94
Brush the tops of the pretzels with a light coating of the egg wash and sprinkle them with coarse salt
95
Bake the pretzels for 20 minutes, and then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom
96
Continue baking until the pretzels are deeply browned, about 17 to 25 minutes more
97
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the pretzels to cool to room temperature
98
Once cooled, test a pretzel for doneness by breaking it in half
99
If the center is still a little chewy, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C/gas 2 and return the pretzels to the oven to finish hardening to a crisp
100
This could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes more
101
(Note that if you have some thicker pretzels and some thinner, the thinner ones may be done, while the thicker ones need a little more baking
102
) Test a pretzel after about 10 minutes, and in 5-minute increments after that
103
When they are hard, transfer the pretzels to a cooling rack
104
Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks