Well. To anyone who says I give Lenny too much hassle and back-talk in the kitchen, I say just watch this episode.
I reckon I’m pretty capable with dough and have a good feel for the right texture, moisture and density. So when we decided to make pretzels – the big soft chewy bready variety, not the nasty little crunchy bar snacks – I decided to take charge.
I got hooked on these things in Canada where there was a chain in shopping malls that baked and sold them fresh. I always wonder about those instant-baked breads – do they use yeast, for example, or some sort of chemical for a quicker result? Anyway, they were still good enough to suck me in repeatedly.
Where we live in London a local deli sells pretzels every now and then, but it’s not a reliable supply. So I did some research and found a couple of traditional pretzel recipes on the web. I amalgamated these into something that would suit Crash Test Kitchen (i.e. not too fussy in the preparation or execution!).
Shaping the pretzels is easily enough learned – the trick is in getting the dough just right. And rolling it out into long ropes a bit thicker than a pencil.
Boiling before baking is optional, but it adds a chewy skin and seems to fluff them up. I reckon you’d be mad not to boil them first.
Keep an eye on them while baking – it all happens pretty quickly and you could easily end up with something that looks and tastes like a charred piece of tangled rope.
Devour with melted butter and salt. Nothing better.