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Philadelphia soft pretzels
Figure-eight pretzels joined in a chewy strip
Philadelphians eat more soft pretzels than anyone in America, bought by the dozen from corner bakeries in the morning and from street vendors with yellow mustard. The Philly pretzel is shaped like a figure eight and baked touching its neighbours, so you tear them apart in a row with soft sides. A bath in a bicarbonate solution gives the brown, chewy skin. Chef's tip: bake the bicarbonate of soda first; it makes it more alkaline and gives a darker, more pretzel-like crust.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- 2 ⅛ oz bicarbonate of soda
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 4 tbsp yellow mustard (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Spread the 2 ⅛ oz bicarbonate of soda on a foil-lined tray and bake at 250°F (200°F fan) for 1 hour; cool and store in a jar.
60 minStep 2: Mix the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and knead 8 minutes into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rise 45 minutes, until puffy.
55 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Divide into 10 and roll each into a 50 cm rope. Twist into a long figure eight and press the ends together.
15 minStep 4: Bring the 8 ¼ cups water to a simmer and stir in the baked soda carefully; it fizzes. Dip each pretzel for 20 seconds, lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.
10 minStep 5: Lay them on a lined tray in rows, just touching, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp coarse sea salt. A common mistake is leaving gaps, which makes them crisp all round instead of soft at the sides.
3 minStep 6: Bake for 12–15 minutes until deep, shiny brown. Eat warm with 4 tbsp yellow mustard.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does philadelphia soft pretzels take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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