A simple pretzel loaf from scratch.
Fresh-baked bread straight out of the oven is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It’s not only about enjoying enjoy a nice warm slice of bread, but the aroma that lingers throughout the house after baking is something that just can’t be replicated (bonus points if you are baking on cold n’ wet rainy day). It’s pure comfort, like the equivalent feeling you get wrapping yourself up in a blanket fresh from the dryer.
This pretzel loaf was so good that it lasted only a day (It probably didn’t help we paired it with to-die-for cheese and wine savory soup ). While you could rub a hearty slab of butter over a warm slice, I’d also recommended a nice stone ground mustard as a topping choice.
Time You Need
- Prep: ~20 minutes
- Baking: 30-40 minutes
- Resting: ~1-2 hours
What You Need
- 3 ½ cups of bread flour
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 packet of instant yeast
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of hot tap water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- Pretzel Salt!
- For the boil:
- 3 quarts of water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ cup of baking soda
- Egg bath:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 egg
What You Do
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot tap water with sugar and yeast. Cover and let sit for ten minutes.
- While waiting, take a small saucepan, add milk and butter. Heat until the butter completely melts. Stir together, and then add to the yeast mixture.
- Next, add in flour and garlic salt. Mix ingredients together using a stand mixer or by hand until a dough starts to form.
- Once a soft dough is formed, knead on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes. Take the dough and place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rise for about one hour.
- Once the time is up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray (or use a simple old cast iron skillet).
- Take a large pot and add 3 quarts of water, brown sugar, and baking soda. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Take dough and form into a smooth ball.
- Once the water is at a rolling boil, place your dough ball into the water. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, and then roll the dough over to ensure all sides are covered. In total, you want to keep it in there for about 4-5 minutes. Then carefully remove from the pot, and place it on a greased baking sheet.
- Reform the dough into a ball if needed.
- In a small cup, beat egg and add olive oil. Use the mixture to brush the pretzel ball, coating evenly.
- Then place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush lightly with water, and coat with pretzel salt. Return the loaf to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until a nice golden pretzely brown crust is achieved.