Alton Brown Makes Soft Pretzels | Good Eats | Food Network
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host transforms a classic bagel recipe into soft pretzels by adding melted butter and adjusting water quantity and temperature. After mixing with flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, the dough is kneaded until smooth. It then rises, is portioned, and shaped into pretzels. They're boiled in a baking soda solution to achieve a chewy texture, glazed with egg wash for color, and baked to golden brown perfection at 450 degrees for 14 minutes.
Takeaways
- ๐ฅฏ **Adaptation of Bagel Recipe**: The recipe for soft pretzels is adapted from an old bagel recipe.
- ๐ง **Addition of Butter**: Two ounces of unsalted melted butter are added to the dough.
- ๐ง **Water Adjustment**: The recipe calls for more water, specifically one and a half cups heated to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- ๐ฌ **Sugar and Salt**: One tablespoon of sugar and two teaspoons of kosher salt are included in the yeast mixture.
- ๐งช **Yeast Activation**: A package of active dry yeast, equivalent to two and a half teaspoons, is used to activate the yeast.
- ๐ **Flour Measurement**: Twenty-two ounces of all-purpose flour, or about four and a half cups, are weighed out for the dough.
- ๐ **Kneading Process**: The dough is mixed at low speed until it comes together, then at medium speed for four to five minutes to develop gluten.
- ๐ก๏ธ **Rising Time**: The dough is allowed to rise in a warm place (70 degrees Fahrenheit) for one hour until it doubles in size.
- โ๏ธ **Dough Portioning**: The dough is divided into eight equal portions, each weighing four and a half ounces.
- ๐ **Shaping the Pretzels**: Each portion is shaped into a 24-inch long rope and then formed into the classic pretzel shape.
- ๐ง **Moisture Maintenance**: Tea towels and water spritzes are used to keep the shaped pretzels damp before baking.
- ๐ฅฃ **Boiling and Soaking**: Pretzels are briefly boiled in a solution of water and baking soda to gelatinize the starches and achieve the characteristic pretzel texture.
- ๐ฅ **Egg Wash**: An egg yolk mixed with water is used as an egg wash to add color and help the salt adhere to the pretzels.
- ๐ฅ **Baking Time and Temperature**: The pretzels are baked at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 minutes, with the pans rotated halfway through the baking process.
Q & A
What is the main ingredient adapted in the recipe to create a soft pretzel-like bread?
-The main ingredient adapted is an old bagel recipe, with the addition of two ounces of unsalted melted butter and more water.
How much water and at what temperature should it be added to the recipe?
-One and a half cups of water heated to around 115 degrees Fahrenheit should be added.
What are the other ingredients added to the water besides the butter?
-One tablespoon of sugar, two teaspoons of kosher salt, and one package (two and a half teaspoons) of active dry yeast are added.
How much flour is used in the recipe and what type is it?
-The recipe calls for 22 ounces of all-purpose flour.
What method is used to combine the ingredients in the mixer?
-The ingredients are combined using a mixer with a hook attachment, starting at low speed and then increasing to medium for four to five minutes.
What is the desired texture of the dough after mixing?
-The dough should be smooth and satiny, almost like a matte finish, and should come away in a ball.
How long should the dough rise and at what temperature?
-The dough should rise for one hour in a warm place, ideally around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
How many portions should the dough be divided into and what is the weight of each portion?
-The dough should be divided into eight portions, each weighing four and a half ounces.
What is the target length for the shaped pretzel dough before forming the traditional pretzel shape?
-The target length for the shaped pretzel dough is 24 inches.
How is the pretzel dough prepared for boiling and what is the purpose of this step?
-The pretzel dough is dipped in boiling water with baking soda for 30 seconds to gelatinize the starches and prepare it for baking.
What is the purpose of the egg wash applied to the pretzel dough before baking?
-The egg wash, made from one egg yolk thinned with a tablespoon of water, is applied to give the pretzel a golden brown color and to help the salt stick to the surface.
At what temperature should the pretzels be baked and for how long?
-The pretzels should be baked at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 minutes, with the pans rotated halfway through the baking time.
Outlines
๐ฅ Making Soft Pretzels
The script describes a process of adapting a bagel recipe to create soft pretzels by adding two ounces of unsalted melted butter and increasing the water to one and a half cups heated to 115 degrees. The dough is prepared with one tablespoon of sugar, two teaspoons of kosher salt, and one package of active dry yeast. After mixing, the dough is allowed to rise for one hour in a warm place. The dough is then portioned into eight equal pieces, shaped into a rectangle, rolled into a tight cylinder, and formed into the pretzel shape. The pretzels are then boiled in a solution of water and baking soda for 30 seconds before being brushed with an egg yolk wash and baked at 450 degrees for 14 minutes, with the pans rotated at the seven-minute mark.
๐ Baking the Pretzels
This paragraph continues the process of making pretzels by detailing the baking step. The pretzels are baked at 450 degrees for 14 minutes, with the baking pans rotated at the seven-minute mark to ensure even baking. The paragraph also mentions the use of an egg yolk wash thinned with water to add color and help the salt stick to the pretzels before baking.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กBagel Recipe
๐กMelted Butter
๐กWater Temperature
๐กYeast
๐กFlour
๐กDough Hook
๐กProofing
๐กPortioning
๐กShaping
๐กBoiling Bath
๐กEgg Wash
๐กBaking
Highlights
Adapting an old bagel recipe to create a soft pretzel-like bread.
Adding two ounces of unsalted melted butter to the recipe.
Increasing water quantity to one and a half cups heated to 115 degrees.
Adding one tablespoon of sugar and two teaspoons of kosher salt to the yeast mixture.
Using one package (2.5 teaspoons) of active dry yeast.
Weighing out 22 ounces (4.5 cups) of all-purpose flour.
Using a scale with a tare function for accurate ingredient measurement.
Mixing the dough at low speed until it comes together, then increasing to medium for 4-5 minutes.
The dough should be smooth and satiny after mixing.
Covering the dough with a tea towel and letting it rise in a warm place for one hour.
Portioning the dough into eight equal parts, each weighing four and a half ounces.
Shaping the dough into a rectangle and rolling it up tightly.
Rolling the dough to a target length of 24 inches.
Creating the pretzel shape by folding the ends around and pinching them together.
Dipping the pretzels in boiling water with baking soda for 30 seconds.
Using an egg wash (egg yolk thinned with water) for color and to help salt adhere.
Baking the pretzels at 450 degrees for 14 minutes, flipping the pans halfway through.
Transcripts
[Music]
based on my examination of the field
sample i have decided to adapt an old
bagel recipe that i feel produces a
bread that is very close to a soft
pretzel only i'm going to add butter in
fact two ounces of unsalted melted
butter and
more water one and a half cups in fact
heated to around 115 degrees to that i
will add
one tablespoon of
sugar two teaspoons of kosher salt and
one package worth of active dry yeast
that's a two and a half teaspoons
meanwhile
weigh out 22 ounces of all-purpose flour
that's about four and a half cups one
pound six ounces
there we go now i've got a tear function
on my scale so i can just zero out the
weight of the mixing bowl before the
flour went in now clamp this on to your
mixer add your water yeast slurry
and the two ounces of melted butter to
bring this together we will employ
captain hook
and we're gonna do this at low speed
just until the dough comes together
when the dough ball comes together
thusly boost the speed to medium for
four to five minutes this will trigger
the great cosmic intermingling of water
and wheat proteins like gluten and
gliadin which form
gluten
well just about the time that the old
mixer crawls right off of the counter we
should be done dough should be nice
smooth and satiny like this he's kind of
almost like a matte finish comes away in
a ball so we will get rid of the hook
give the bowl a quick spray with some no
stick because as this rises it will get
very sticky indeed
back in the bowl we will cover the bowl
with a tea towel oh it's pretty and
stash this in a warm place say 70
degrees for one hour as you can see
our dough has doubled in size signifying
that it is prepared to move on to the
next phase of production first we must
portion our dough we have
36 ounces of this stuff and we would
like eight portions so that's um
excellent uh four and a half ounces each
now we cut
[Music]
now you certainly don't have to do this
with the scale you can simply divide
your dough into eight even pieces but
trust me this is
easier now we shape make sure that uh
that you have plenty of room here put
your ball right in front of you and
squish it out with the heel of your hand
so you get a little rectangle
there now roll it up nice
and tight and make a good seam along the
bottom
there now start rolling with just one
hand the goal is to push it away with
some pressure then just roll it back
lightly and push it again and when it
gets long enough i have the second hand
now if you start to see a twist form
right in the very middle of the dough
you know that you do not have your your
hands coordinated and that twist could
become a break point so be watching for
that now our target length is 24 inches
give or take an inch or so
there now for the uh the basic uh
pretzel shape fold this end around and
this end around you don't have to press
down just barely pinch so that they join
there you can move that onto the pan
and go ahead and cover it with a tea
towel and give that a few
spritzes
of water just to keep it damp now i'm
sure there are other ways to dip a
pretzel but i think this rig is pretty
sweet here i have 10 cups of boiling
water and a wide saute pan which i've
added two-thirds of a cup of baking soda
now uh i'm just kind of bathing uh the
pretzels two at a time lifting them uh
out and dropping them in with a slightly
altered splatter screen you could use a
spatula or a spider whatever you happen
to have i'm going to scoot those out
while they're still nice and warm and
get on
the next
load i am figuring that 30 seconds
should be the perfect amount of exposure
for the alkaline to do its job and of
course the the hot water is also going
to go to work uh gelatinizing the
starches on the outside this is by the
way the exact precise uh method for
making bagels and i figure that's a
that's a good thing of course these are
never going to be as golden brown and
delicious on the outside as the lie
dipped versions but
wait
hold on
many is the pastry item that has
received an extra dash of color from
eggs one egg yolk thinned with a
tablespoon of water should provide
enough wash for our entire batch
the other nice thing about the egg wash
is it will definitely help that salt to
stay in place
park these in the hot box 450 for 14
minutes and give the pans a spin seven
minutes in
you
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