Step-by-Step Sourdough Pumpernickel Pretzels
PROJECT COOKING for the Cozy TimesIn the North, when the cold sets in and the days grow short, long, slow cooking projects come into their own. Gone is the casual, throw-a-moose-burger-on-the-BBQ-and-whip-up a-garden-salad spirit of summer. We have time now, and we’ll be indoors a lot between shorter bursts of exercise, so folding and stretching a sourdough dough several times over a few hours is not a problem. Nor is keeping an eye on the fire in the woodstove so the moose stock doesn’t simmer too rapidly. Just to keep the balance, I’ve included a beer and cheese dip that comes together in 10 minutes; it allows to the cook to prep a quick lunch or apr.s-ski snack while everyone’s waiting for the moose stew to be done. Bring on the long nights; we’re ready for them!Sequence of events: feed the starter in the morning, make the dough in late afternoon, let it bulk ferment at room temperature, stretching and folding several times, and retard in the refrigerator overnight. You’ll make pretzels the next morning and they’ll be ready in time for lunch.
Ingredients
- 250 grams (just over 1 cup) active,
- 100 % hydration sourdough starter
- 170 grams (¾ cup) warm water
- 110 grams (½ cup) strong coffee, cooled to lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon birch syrup
- 340 grams (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 125 grams (1 cup) rye flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed (substitute caraway or cumin seed)
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
FINISHING
- 3 quarts boiling water
- 1/3 cup baking soda
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together starter, water, coffee, and birch syrup. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, and fennel seed.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet with a wooden spoon until flour is thoroughly hydrated. Work the dough with your hands in the bowl until you have a shaggy, sticky mass. Knead briefly in the bowl (it will be quite sticky but avoid adding more flour at this point). Cover bowl with a tea towel and a plate and let dough rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
- Still working with the dough in the bowl, gradually knead in the salt. The dough will become less sticky the more you work in the salt.
- Dust the counter lightly with flour. Tip the dough onto the counter and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, using as little extra flour as possible, just enough to keep the dough from seriously sticking to the counter. The scraper is your friend here!
- Form dough into a ball. Pour a bit of olive oil into a medium-sized bowl, place dough in the bowl and flip a couple of times to thoroughly coat.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Working with wet hands, stretch 1 side of the dough upwards then fold it toward the center of the bowl; do this 4 times, rotating the bowl each time. Repeat every 30 minutes for a total of 2 hours, or 16 stretch-and-folds. (This step helps the gluten in the dough develop and regulates the temperature of the dough.)
- Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour, then stretch and fold again, 4 times. You will notice that the dough is becoming lively and springy, and there may be 1 or 2 bubbles forming under the “skin.” Allow to rest for 1 more hour, then stretch and fold a last 4 times.
- Coat the dough with more oil, if necessary; cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove dough from the fridge. It should still be quite springy and will still be a bit sticky—this will help in shaping the pretzels. You need the friction of the cold, somewhat sticky dough on the unfloured counter to facilitate rolling.
- Tip the cold dough onto a clean (not floured) countertop and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest for a few minutes.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush the paper with oil—an important step to keep the shaped pretzels from sticking when it’s time to transfer them to the boiling water.
- Because the dough is so springy, it’s best to shape the pretzels in stages, letting the dough rest in between. With flat hands, roll each ball into a rope of about 10 to 12 inches, working out from the middle towards the ends. Line the ropes up on the counter.
- Starting with the first rope you rolled (which will have rested for about 5 minutes at this point) roll it out to a length of 20 inches. Shape the pretzel: make the rope into a U shape, twist the ends together 2 or 3 times, fold the twist up, and press into the middle of the U. Place on the baking sheet and repeat until all the pretzels are shaped, arranging 6 pretzels per baking sheet. Cover pretzels with oiled plastic wrap and bring to room temperature—about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. Bring water, baking soda, and brown sugar to a boil in a large pot, covered. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, slide 2 pretzels in. They will sink to the bottom, then rise to the surface after about 30 seconds. Once they’ve risen, flip and cook 10 seconds more. Repeat until all the pretzels are done.
- Brush each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt. Bake for 15 minutes, until sesame seeds are golden and the pretzels are a deep chocolate brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with warm beer and cheese dip.
