A few years ago we went to the Tate Art Gallery to see a wonderful art exhibition of the great Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. There were paintings, stained glass, and even a grand piano that he had designed and decorated, as well as his collaborations with William Morris. If you haven't seen any of his art, I highly recommend that you check it out - you will not be sorry. Incidentally, his wife was one of the four MacDonald sisters: Georgina married Burne-Jones, Agnes married Sir Edward Poynter the artist, Louisa was the mother of Stanley Baldwin the British Prime Minister, and Alice MacDonald was Rudyard Kipling's mother!
Anyway, this impromptu art/history lesson is, like anything worthwhile, leading to a meal. During the exhibition, we stopped for lunch and I had one of the best rolls I have ever eaten. And I do mean the roll. I don't remember the filling. It seemed to pale into insignificance next to its delicious outer shell. So when I got home it became my mission to try to recreate that roll and I think I have finally achieved pretty delicious results with these pretzel rolls.
At any rate, these rolls are soft on the inside, delicious warm or cold. They keep well and they have that amazing chewy exterior. Do not be put off by the sound of making a pretzel at home. There are a few steps but they are quite simple and the satisfaction of making them is well worth the time and effort.
Traditional pretzels use lye to create that dark shine but in this recipe, as in many you will find online, I use bicarbonate of soda. It works well and is much easier to find in the shops! I advise you to follow the steps for baking the bicarbonate of soda as this creates a stronger alkaline solution and a better crust but it is not essential. And last, but maybe most importantly, do not skip the wash after the bicarb bath. While this step is not necessary for health or safety it does make a better bun and stops the slightly bitter taste that can be left over by the bicarbonate of soda.
Soft And Chewy Pretzel Rolls
Ingredients:
350g warm water
7g dried yeast
50g softened butter
1tbs barley malt or honey
500g - 550g all-purpose flour
1tsp salt
For the Bicarbonate of soda bath:
2.5lt (10 cups) water
125g bicarbonate of soda
1tbsp Molasses (optional)
1 egg mixed with 1tbsp cold water for egg wash
Salt, sesame, or poppy seeds to garnish
Method:
(This step is optional see note) Heat oven to 120°C, place the bicarbonate of soda onto a baking tray, and bake for 1 hour.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and malt. set aside for 10 minutes.
Add into the yeast mixture 500g of the flour and the salt and mix until well combined either using a stand mixer or by hand.
At this point, you can add in the remaining 50g of flour but be aware that this will still be a sticky dough (it becomes much easier to handle after proofing).
Add the softened butter to the dough.
In a stand mixer, using a dough hook, knead for 8 minutes at medium to high speed. If working by hand, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until you have a nice, smooth, and elastic dough.
Cover with a towel or cling film, and rest in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Just before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 180°C and dissolve the bicarb and molasses, if using, in a large pan filled with water. Let this come to a simmer.
Prepare and line your baking trays (I use these silicone liners) and fill a large deep dish with plain water to rinse the rolls after they have been dunked in the bicarb bath.
When the dough is ready, punch it down, turn out onto a floured surface, and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball, flatten, and then roll up into a sausage shape, taking care to seal the bottom seam.
Place a couple of rolls into the bicarbonate bath for three minutes, turning halfway.
When you remove from the bicarbonate solution, place it in the pan filled with water, turning to rinse well.
Place on the baking tray, brush rolls with the egg wash, and, using a sharp knife, slash the dough a couple of times horizontally.
Sprinkle with the salt and seeds, if using, and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Once the buns have finished baking remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.