Bavarian Soft Pretzels

Bavarian Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Andrea Slonecker - Pretzels at Home

Note: I had no food-grade lye at home, so I used the baked baking soda method.  Always trust Harold McGee!  Serve with mustard or queso.

INGREDIENTS
1 (1/4-oz/7-g) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup/120 ml warm water (between 100 and 115°F/38 and 45°C)
1 tbsp barley malt syrup or 1 tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 1/4 cups/420 g unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup/120 ml cold pilsner-style beer
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the bowl
2 tsp fine sea salt, such as fleur de sel 
2 tbsp food-grade lye, or 1/4 cup/60 g baked baking soda (see separate notes)

PREPARATION 
Mixing and proofing:  Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl. Add the barley malt syrup, stirring until dissolved. Allow the yeast to bloom until foamy, 5 min. Stir in the flour, beer, butter, and salt and stir to form a shaggy mass. In a stand mixer, kneading on medium-low speed 1 minute; the dough will form a smooth ball. The dough should be firm and slightly tacky, but not sticky. (If it is sticky, add a little more flour, about 1 tbsp at a time, and knead it in until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry to come together, add more water, 1 tsp at a time.) Continue kneading the dough on medium-low speed until it is elastic, 5 min. Alternatively, turn the shaggy dough out onto an unfloured work surface and knead it by hand.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Put the dough in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours, for optimal flavor.  For quick pretzels, allow the dough to rise at room temperature (in a warm spot) until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shaping:  Line two rimmed half sheet pans with parchment. Work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp, clean kitchen towel. Pat a piece of dough down to form a rough rectangle. Beginning on a long side, roll up tightly, forming it into a loaf. Pinch seams together. Shape into a rope by rolling it against the work surface with your palms and applying mild pressure, working from center out to the ends. Repeat. Return to the first dough rope and continue rolling it out and tapering the ends. Position the rope into a U shape, with the ends pointing away from you. Holding an end in each hand, cross the ends 3 in from tips and then cross them again. Fold the ends down and press them into the U at about 4 and 8 o’clock, allowing about 1/4 in of the ends to overhang. Place pretzels on prepared baking sheet and cover it with a damp towel. Repeat, spacing at least 1 in apart and covering with a damp towel. Allow to rise at warm room temp until increased in size by about half, 30 min. (The pretzels can be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 8 hours before dipping and baking.)
At least 20 minutes before baking, position one rack in the upper third and another rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 500°F

Dipping:
Prepare the lye solution or baked baking soda solution.
Use a large skimmer to gently dip the pretzels in the lye or baked baking soda solution, one or two at a time. Leave them in the solution for about 20 seconds, carefully turning once after 10 seconds. Remove the pretzels from the liquid, drain, and return them to the baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 in/2.5 cm apart. If the ends come detached, simply reposition them. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Topping and baking:
Use a sharp paring knife or razor blade to cut a slit about 1/4 in/6 mm deep in the thickest part of each pretzel (the bottom of the U). Top them as you choose, if desired. Bake the pretzels until they are deep mahogany in color, 8 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Transfer the pretzels to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.