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SP's Sourdough Soft Pretzels

SP
Super simple, super scrumptious.
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Ingredients
  

For pretzels

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup sourdough starter either unfed or fed will work
  • 3-1/4 cups unbleached bread flour (approximate)
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • whole wheat flour, as needed (optional)
  • coarse salt for sprinkling on pretzels before baking

For alkali bath

  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 4 cups water

Instructions
 

For the dough

  • Mix water, sourdough starter, flour, sugar, olive oil, salt and instant yeast in a medium bowl until well combined. If the dough is too wet to knead, mix in whole wheat flour until a kneadable dough is formed. This will vary based on how liquid your sourdough starter is. I usually add about 1/3 cup whole wheat flour at this point.
  •  Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth, slightly tacky ball. 
  • Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rest until puffy, about an hour. It doesn't need to double, but it's fine if it does.

Shape the pretzels

  • Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • Deflate dough and divide into 8 uniform balls. 
  • On a floured surface, shape each dough ball into a long rope, at least 18 inches long. The final shape and size of your pretzels will depend on this step. Make the rope longer and thinner for a more open pretzel form.
  • Form a large U shape with one dough rope, with the open part of the U facing away from you.  Cross one end of the rope over the other, forming an X at the top center of the open space with about 3 inches of extra rope at the ends. Twist the ends around each other once more, and bring the ends toward you to rest on the curved section of dough that is closest to your body. Press the ends onto the dough. (See linked video above for shaping help if needed.)
  • Gently lift your formed pretzel and place on the lined baking sheet. 
  • Repeat until all pretzels have been formed.

Bake and serve

  • Place 4 cups water in a sauce pan and add the baking soda. Mix until thoroughly dissolved. Bring the water to a boil.
  • Working one at a time, gently lift a formed pretzel and place in the boiling water. Boil the pretzel for 15 seconds. Turn over and continue boiling for another 15 seconds. Lift the pretzel out of the water using a skimmer and place it back on the baking sheet.
  • Repeat until all pretzels have been boiled.
  • Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt to taste.
  • Bake pretzels until deep brown, approximately 16 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with a variety of mustards and dipping sauces, or cheese sauce.