Pretzels

• porsi: Makes 12

Bahan-bahan

For the dough:

280ml lukewarm milk

1 x 7g package of fast action yeast

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

500g strong flour

½ tbsp salt

40g butter, at room temperature

1½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda

3L boiling water

To decorate:

½ tbsp sea salt

50g caster sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp maple syrup

Petunjuk

1 Pour the lukewarm water into a jug and add the yeast and brown sugar. Leave for five minutes.

2 Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until it reaches a sandy texture.

3 Make a well in the centre of the bowl and add the milk mixture. Mix until it just comes together as a dough.

4 Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

5 Divide the dough in half and place each half into an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

6 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

7 Once the dough has doubled in size, divide each half into six equal pieces.

8 Roll each piece into 40-50cm long sausages with tapered ends; start from the middle of the dough and roll outwards. Roll the dough part of the way, as it will shrink back. Allow the dough to rest for a minute and then roll again. You are pushing out the air bubbles, so don't be afraid to apply pressure.

9 To create the pretzel shape, take one of the strands of dough and shape it into a U shape. Twist the two ends together. Bring the twisted ends down to the bottom curve and use a bit of water or milk to stick them to the dough.

10 Place the shaped pretzels on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with oiled cling film. Allow to sit in a warm spot for 20 minutes until they have puffed up.

11 In a large bowl, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water. Drop the pretzels in for 20 seconds, then gently remove and place on a baking tray.

12 While the dough is still wet, sprinkle half with the sea salt and leave the other half to be decorated after baking.

13 Bake for 20-25 minutes until the dough is golden in colour. Leave to cool on a wire wrack.

14 Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels with the maple syrup and toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

Catatan

To check if your dough is fully developed in Step 4, take a piece of dough and gently spread it with your fingers. If the dough stretches without breaking and is almost transparent, this means the gluten has developed. This is known as the 'windowpane test'.