Pretzel with Sesame
Ingredients: - 360 g of freshly sifted flour and flour for dusting the work surface - 250 g of melted butter (I melted the butter in the microwave) - 3 eggs - 25 g of fresh yeast - 4 tablespoons of warm milk - 1 cube of sugar (I added 1 teaspoon of sugar) - salt
Yeast plays an essential role in making pretzels, so the first step is to dissolve it in warm milk along with sugar. This mixture will activate the yeast, helping the dough to rise and aerate. While the yeast is activating, we separate the egg whites from the yolks. It is important to keep them separate, and to add a touch of flavor, we sprinkle a little salt over the yolks and leave them in the fridge. This will help to firm them up, so we achieve a better texture in the dough.
The egg whites are whipped to a foam using a whisk, being careful not to overbeat them. The goal is to achieve an airy foam, but not necessarily stiff, rather to ensure they are well incorporated into the dough. After we have whipped the egg whites, we move on to preparing the dough. In a large bowl, we combine the flour with the soft butter, egg whites, salt to taste, and of course, the yeast mixture with milk and sugar. We knead the dough carefully, to homogenize all the ingredients, for about 7 minutes, until it becomes elastic and slightly sticky.
After kneading, the dough needs to rise. We place the dough in a clean bowl, cover it with a towel, and put it in a warm place, letting it rise for 30 minutes. We take this time to prepare the baking tray with parchment paper and to organize our workspace. After the dough has risen, we head to the work surface, which we flour well. We roll out the dough with a rolling pin, obtaining an even sheet. This is where the fun part comes in: using a special cutter, we cut pretzels from the dough sheet.
After we have made all the pretzels, we carefully arrange them on the prepared tray. To give them an appetizing look, we brush them with the yolks mixed with a little salt, using a pastry brush. Finally, we sprinkle sesame seeds or coarse salt on top, depending on preferences. Now, the pretzels are ready to be placed in the preheated oven, where they will bake at moderate heat, on the middle rack, until they become golden and crunchy. The aroma that will spread throughout the house will be irresistible, and the final result will surely be a delicious one, ready to be enjoyed with loved ones.
