Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients for 16 pretzels:
5 3/4 oz (170 mL) luke-warm water
4 oz (120 mL) luke-warm milk
1 Tbsp (15 g) fresh yeast or 2 tsp (6 g) dry yeast
3 3/4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 g.) salt
2 Tbsp (30 g) melted butter
Extra-virgin olive oil

To finish:
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) milk
Coarse salt

Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus 2 hours for rising
Baking time: 25 minutes

Pour the water and the milk into a bowl and dissolve the yeast. In another bowl, sift 3 and 1/2 cups of the flour with the salt and make a well in the center. Steadily pour the yeast mixture into the center of the well, mixing with a wooden spoon and blending in the flour. Then add the melted butter.
Continue to mix the dough, until it comes off the sides of the bowl. Then transfer the dough to the work surface and knead for another 5 minutes.

Grease the dough uniformly with oil and let it rise for 1 hour in the bowl covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel.

Turn the dough out onto the work surface, knead for five minutes, and then divide it into 16 equal portions. Shape the portions into small balls, place them on a thick layer of flour, and cover with a cloth.

Take one ball and roll it into a rope 15 inches (40 cm) long with the center part thicker than the ends. With your fingertips, hold the ends, twist them, and attach them using light pressure to the area where the rope starts to thin. Arrange the pretzel rings on a buttered baking sheet and let them rest for 10 minutes-the time required to bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Once the water boils, reduce the heat and immerse the pretzels one at a time. When the pretzels float to the surface, drain them and gently place them first on a dishcloth and then on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg beaten with milk. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack; they can be served warm or cold.

Adapted from page 76 of Classic Breads originally published in 1999 then translated to English in 2004. See https://www.ebay.com/itm/303447503135