Bavarian Pretzels

Stages of cooking

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1. Gather all ingredients. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
2. Mix brown sugar and warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 minutes. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
3. Add melted butter and beer to the yeast mixture and whisk until combined. Add bread flour and salt. Mix and then knead with your hands or an electric mixer for a few minutes until a dough ball forms. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
4. Grease a bowl with 1 teaspoon butter. Place dough in the bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 8 hours, or overnight. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
5. Punch down the dough and knead until a smooth ball of dough is formed, about 1 minute. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise until dough has almost doubled in size, 2 to 3 more hours. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place baking soda in an oven-safe dish. Place baking soda in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool, and then whisk into a shallow bowl of 2 1/2 cups hot water until dissolved. Mixture can be strained to remove any dissolved pieces. Reserve until needed. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
7. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball; let sit for 5 minutes. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
8. To form a pretzel, roll a dough ball into a sausage shape, and then press into a small rectangle with your fingers. Fold the outside third of the dough into the center, and press flat with your fingertips, and then repeat with the edge closest to you. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
9. Roll the dough into a rope 15 to 18 inches long, with the center (belly) of the rope being twice as thick as the ends. Cross the ends once or twice and fold them back over the pretzel so the ends are just past the belly. Repeat to form remaining pretzels. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
   
10. Put on some thin, food-safe gloves and transfer a pretzel to the baking soda bath; soak for 20 to 30 seconds, gently splashing liquid over the top of the pretzel to coat. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet that's been greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle the still-damp pretzel with large-grain sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels and let rise for 30 minutes. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
    
11. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Use a razor or sharp knife to make a slash across the "belly" of each pretzel. Smaller cuts can also be made on other sides of the pretzel if desired. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
    
12. Bake in the preheated oven until well browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI
    
13. Serve and enjoy! ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NIATI