NEW YORK PRETZELS
Though reminiscent of the warm soft pretzels you may have had at baseball games
or on the street, these are even better because they're fresh. Serve with
yellow mustard.
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons) 3 3/4
to 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pretzel salt*
Special equipment: parchment paper
Stir together sugar, yeast, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
(105 to 110°F) in a glass measuring cup, then let stand
until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam,
discard and start over with new yeast.)
Whisk together 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon table salt
in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir with a wooden
spoon until it forms a dough. Dust work surface with 1
tablespoon flour, then turn out dough and knead, gradually
dusting with just enough additional flour to make a smooth
sticky dough, about 8 minutes. (Dough needs to be somewhat
sticky to facilitate rolling and forming into pretzels).
Return dough to bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic
wrap, then let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room
temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Turn
out dough onto a clean work surface and cut into 8 equal
pieces. Using your palms, roll 1 piece back and forth on a
clean dry work surface into a rope about 24 inches long. If
dough sticks to your hands, lightly dust them with flour.
Twist dough into a pretzel shape. (Dough will retract as you
form the pretzel.)
Transfer pretzel with your hands to an oiled baking sheet
and form 7 more pretzels in same manner with remaining
dough, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.
Let pretzels stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile,
put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to
425°F. Bring a wide 6-quart pot of water to a boil.
Using both hands, carefully add 3 pretzels, 1 at a time, to
boiling water and cook, turning over once with tongs, until
pretzels are puffed and shape is set, about 3 minutes.
Transfer parboiled pretzels to a rack to cool. Repeat with
remaining 5 pretzels in 2 batches.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and oil paper, then
arrange pretzels on sheet. Brush pretzels lightly with some
of egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake until golden
brown and lightly crusted, about 35 minutes. Cool 15
minutes, then serve warm.
Cooks' notes: • Dough can be mixed and kneaded in a
standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook. • Pretzels
are best the day they are made. (When they are kept
overnight, salt may dissolve.)
*Available at King Arthur Flour (800-827-6836).
Makes 8 large pretzels.
Gourmet March 2004
---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED
NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon ```````````` "Life would be
devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."