Description
This recipe not only uses sourdough, which makes for a fabulous depth of flavour, but I also added a few secret ingredients to add maltiness and a little more crunch to the lovely brown crust that makes pretzels so special. The inside is perfectly soft and chewy, as you would expect from your favourite pretzels. I love these especially when the top is sprinkled not only with the classic salt, but also some caraway seeds, which makes for the perfect combination with cheese. Try it out!
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 3/4 cup warm water
- 3.5 cup white bread flour (strong flour)
- 2 cups fine whole wheat flour (don’t use coarse here, or you’ll impact the soft chewy texture)
- 1/4 cup butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 tbsp malt extract (Optional. Use honey instead if you don't have it.)
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp diastatic malt powder (optional, for flavor and crust)
- 1 tsp vitamin C powder (optional, for crispy crust)
To boil:
- 1 1/2 cups baking soda
To top:
- 2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2 tsp sesame seeds (I used black and white)
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
Instructions
Mix the dough
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the active sourdough starter, malt syrup, yeast, barley malt powder, and vitamin C powder and warm water. Stir well to dissolve all ingredients in the water.
- Add the white bread flour, whole wheat flour and kosher salt. Don’t add the butter yet. Mix everything together until a shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface or to your stand mixer and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- Leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Add the butter and knead it into the dough.
Rest
- Place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in size. At this point you could also leave it in the fridge over night and take it out a few hours before baking the next morning.
Shape the buns
- Once the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl onto a floured surface and fold it in thirds once or twice. Divide the dough into 8-16 equal portions (8 makes them about burger bun sized for the hungry days. 12 are more snack sized.) and shape each portion into a round bun, by folding it into itself to create tension on the surface. This gives the buns their perfect round shape.
Boil, then bake
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the baking soda bit by bit carefully (this will foam a lot) and stir until it dissolves.
- Gently drop the pretzel buns, a few at a time, into the boiling water and let them very softly boil for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove the buns from the water using a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Once all the buns have been boiled and transferred to the baking sheet, sprinkle them with the flaky sea salt for added flavour, if desired. At this point I also add sesame to one half, caraway to the other.
- With a sharp knife, slice them crosswise.
- Bake the pretzel buns in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown on top.
Notes
The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products I know and love.
Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving. If you can that is. If not, grab one when you can just about handle it, tear open and eat with small pieces of fridge cold butter.
These can be frozen as they are and just warmed through for about 12 min at 175 degree, whenever you feel like warm pretzel buns.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Calories: 192
- Sugar: 0.2
- Sodium: 3538
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 8
