Prep time: I’m not actually giving this a time. This whole process is time consuming, but worth it. Hell, you have to BAKE baking soda… it’s involved.

Bloom:

1 1/2 cups warm (105-110f) water

1 tbsp sugar

Packet of traditional yeast (I have a jar of it, 2 1/4 tsp will do, I added a smidge more because I eyeball it.)

2 tsp kosher salt

Dough:

Bloomed solution above

4-4 1/2 cups AP CANADIAN flour

1/3 cup melted butter (unsalted)

Pretzel treatment solution:

3/4-1 cup BAKED baking soda (recipe will explain it)

Big pot of water

Slotted spoon

Egg wash:

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp Water

(Mix well)

Coarse Salt or Everything Bagel Seasoning

METHOD:

Mix together yeast, water, sugar and salt in a stand mixer bowl (just using a spoon) and allow that to bloom For 10 mins.

If your water doesn’t look foamy; the yeast is dead, start over.

Dough hook: on.

ADD:

4 to 4 1/2 cups of CANADIAN AP flour (it makes a difference.). - I eyeball this too. Make sure to scoop light, DON’T try to pack your cups hard, and 1/3 cup melted butter.

Mix on low until combined, then ratchet up to high speed in increments, when at the top speed knead for 3 mins.

Pull dough out, oil the bowl lightly, place dough (gently shaped into a ball) back in bowl and toss to coat. Cover (I use elastic plastic bowl covers I get from the dollar tree and a tea towel ) and place somewhere dark and warm to rise for an hour or so, until doubled in volume.

WHILE THAT’S PROOFING:

Place 3/4 to a full cup of baking soda onto a foil lined baking sheet in a 250°F oven for an HOUR. (This makes the upcoming baking soda bath even MORE efficient, as you’ve transformed the bicarbonate into carbonate at this point, which makes it a stronger alkaline salt. Since og pretzels were made by hitting a LYE based solution; we’re going chemistry here, y’all).

RISE DONE, baking soda baked:

Oven to 450° F, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, grease em w oil or butter (or spray, if you’re one of THOSE people).

Fill a big pot 3/4 full with water, dump in the baked baking soda, bring to a rolling boil.

Divide dough into 12 portions, shape each into a ball. Push your thumbs both through the center of the ball, and roll gently to create about a 2 inch wide hole in the middle, while maintaining a ring shape (holes will seem huge, that’ll change during cooking.).

Using a slotted spoon, place dough rings into the carbonate boiling solution we’ve created for 30 seconds (flipping at the 15 mark), then remove with that slotted spoon: to your waiting cookie sheets.

EGG WASH the tops of each lightly and sprinkle with COARSE SALT (or everything bagel seasoning, for those that like that).

Bake for 12-15 mins (rotate your pans at the 6 min mark though), until the tops have gone a deep brown. Be advised the bottoms may get nasty if you over-bake em. Err on the early side.

Voila.

Note: CAN be done without a mixer, but you’re gonna get one hell of a workout in. Hand kneading this Will probably be a good 10-15 mins.