Pretzels

STARTER INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  In a bowl, mix the yeast with 40 ml of lukewarm water and stir in the flour. Cover with cling film and let it mature for 2 hours at room temperature.

DOUGH INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Pour 160 ml of lukewarm water, milk, starter, and add the remaining ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at medium speed for 10 minutes until a firm dough forms.
• 2
  Flour a work surface and turn out the kneaded dough onto it. Shape it into a ball with your hands, cover with a clean cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes until it doubles in volume. Then, knead the dough into a ball again with your hands, cover, and let it rise again, covered with a cloth, for another 30 minutes.
• 3
  Roll the risen dough into a log, divide it into 12 equal pieces, and shape them into balls. Roll each ball into a 45 cm long and 12 mm thick rope, wider in the middle and narrower at the ends. Bend it into a horseshoe shape, cross the ends, and form a pretzel. Flour the work surface and place the prepared pretzels on it. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
• 4
  Preheat the oven to 190 ºC.
• 5
  Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Place the pretzels, 2–3 at a time, into the boiling water, reduce heat to minimum, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the par-boiled pretzels from the water, dry them, and place them on oiled baking sheets, spaced sufficiently apart.
• 6
  In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with milk and brush the pretzels with the mixture. Lightly cut the pretzels on their thickest side with a sharp knife, sprinkle with salt, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes until dark golden.