Best 2 Rye Pretzels Recipes

RYE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine 1½ cups lukewarm water (110 to 115 degrees), yeast and honey in a large bowl; stir to combine. Add the rye flour, 2¾ cups all-purpose flour and kosher salt; stir again.
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 12 to 15 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup all-purpose flour if needed, until the dough is soft and smooth but not sticky. (Tip: to prevent dough from sticking to hands, rub a small amount of melted butter or vegetable oil on them.)
• Lightly brush a large bowl with some of the melted butter. Shape the dough into a ball, seam side down, and transfer to the bowl; brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm spot for up to 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Lightly brush two parchment-lined baking sheets with butter. Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 pieces. With your hands, roll one piece into a snake with thinly tapered ends, about 16 inches long. (Cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap while working.) Transfer to prepared baking sheet, looping one end, then the other, over the midpoint of the roll, making a pretzel shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Let the pretzels rest 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing two racks in and above the center of the oven. Meanwhile, bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot. When the pretzels are ready, stir the baking soda into the boiling water. (Note: if you double the recipe, make a fresh pot of the baking-soda wash for each batch.) Gently lift 2 or 3 pretzels, depending on the surface area of your pot, and slide them into the bath, knot side down. Poach for 30 seconds, turn them over and poach 30 seconds more. Using a long-handled mesh strainer, transfer the pretzels to a kitchen-towel-lined sheet tray to drain, then return them to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle freely with sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, until dark brown. Transfer to a cooling rack until just cool enough to eat. Brush the tops with melted butter, if you like. Serve with mustard.

SOFT RYE PRETZELS

Steps:

• 1. Measure the yeast into a large bowl. Heat 1½ cups of water over low heat, to about 100 °F. Add water to yeast, then add honey and stir. Add flours and kosher salt, and stir again. 2. Dump dough onto floured surface and knead. While kneading, slowly add up until ½ cup of flour, until dough is tacky but not sticky. Once this happens, don't add any more flour; knead for about 12 more minutes until dough is soft and supple. 3. Lightly brush bowl with melted butter. Add dough to bowl and cover with clean dish towel; let it rise for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in size. 4. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 450 °F. Once dough has doubled, remove from bowl and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 17"-long snake (without adding extra flour) and roll into pretzel knots. Let pretzels rise on buttered baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. 5. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add baking soda. Boil pretzels, one at a time; boil each side for 30 seconds. Use a strainer to remove pretzels and transfer them back to baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and bake for 15-18 minutes. Best eaten within the hour!