Ingredients
Dough: 560 g Nominal wholegrain spelt flour 15 g sugar 50 g butter 10 g salt 18-20 g fresh yeast 170 g warm water 170 g beer Sprinkle with: coarse salt, whole poppy seed, sesame seeds Bath: for 1 litre water 40-50 g baking soda |
How to prepare
Use a small bowl and the following dough ingredients: 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, yeast and a couple of tablespoons of water. Mix them into a thin dough and let the bread starter rise in a warm place (10-15 minutes). Place the dough into a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor and stir it with the sugar. Add the softened butter and knead it into the dough using your fingers. Add the starter last. Knead it gradually adding the remaining liquids. Let the supple, smooth, firm dough rise in a warm protected place until its volume doubles. Then knead it once more and knock it out onto a rolling board to form the small pretzels or moustaches. Cut the dough into pieces (ca. 60 g) rolling each piece flat. Create a crescent roll from each one. Then create a roll (about 60 cm long) with thinner ends and create a pretzel or moustache out of it. Place the products on a baking tray ideally with a sheet of baking paper and let them rise for a moment longer.
Create the bath using the hot water with baking soda dissolved in it. Have the water boiling slightly and “cook” all the risen pretzels in it from both sides (about 10 seconds per side) placing them back onto the baking tray. Smear them with yolk whipped with water (this will intensify the pretzel colouring) and sprinkle with the salt or seeds. Immediately place them into a preheated oven and bake at 230-240 °C for 13-15 minutes. Do not dry them out.
Tip: Bake massive moustaches to surprise your friends in November.