I went on the internet to find a recipe. King Arthur flour didn't disappoint: they have a great recipe. I don't have any dry milk. But, never fear. They still came out FANTASTIC!!! I think my favorite part is making the deep cuts in the dough to make those crosses on the top! I made a half batch - just enough for dinner for the four of us. There wasn't enough dough in my stand mixer to do the job. So, I ended up kneading by hand. Other than that, the recipe does halve nicely.
Pretzel Bread
from King Arthur Flour
Dough
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- coarse sea salt
- Water bath
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup baking soda
1. Mix and knead the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
2. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour, until doubled.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
4. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball.
5. Place the balls on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
7. Prepare the water bath: Bring the water, salt, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
8. Drop 5 dough balls at a time into the water bath.
9. Cook for 30 seconds, flip over, and cook for 30 seconds longer. Using a slotted spoon, return the buns to the baking sheet.
10. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut 1/2"-deep crosses into the center of each bun. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
11. Bake the buns for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they're a deep-dark brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
