Ingredients
Pretzels
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 tsp unsalted butter, melted
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & levelled), plus more for work surface
- 9 cups plus 1/2 cup water, divided
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Honey Mustard Dip
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Combine warm water, 1 tbsp of the honey, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand whisk. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for about 5 minutes until it begins to foam. Add 2 1/4 tsp of the melted butter and slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Mix on low with the dough hook attached to stand mixer until combined (use a wooden spoon if doing this by hand).
- Change to medium speed and let the hook knead the dough until it’s starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 minutes (if doing this by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 4 minutes and shape into a ball). Place dough in bowl, cover lightly with a tea towel and allow to rest for 50-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (204°C). Line a baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Bring 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda to a rolling boil in a large pot. In a small dish, whisk together remaining water and cornstarch.
- Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Take the ends of the ropes and form a U-shape. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape (or make any shape you’d like!).
- Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels. Brush the tops with the water and cornstarch mixture and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dark golden brown. Move to cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
- To prepare the honey mustard dipping sauce, simply mix together the Dijon mustard and honey. Serve alongside the warm pretzels.
- Leftover pretzels may be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days (they lose a little softness).
Note: You can use any choice of our delicious honeys, but I chose Dandelion for its beautiful golden colour and its strong flavour that goes so well with savoury foods.
