How to Use Lye to Bake Soft Pretzels

Three Kitchens Podcast

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Ever wondered how to get that perfect, golden-brown crust and chewy texture on a soft pretzel? The secret lies in using food grade lye. Join us as we explore the process step-by-step, share tips for handling lye safely, and guide you through creating the most delicious pretzels you've ever tasted.
A few safety tips for using lye:
- Be sure it's food grade lye
- Be careful not to touch the lye with bare hands - you might even want to wear gloves
- Use a stainless steel pot
- Add the lye to your water (not the other way around)
- Be careful not to splash or lay utensils on your countertop
- Wash everything you use well afterward
We erred on the side of caution and used a fairly low concentration of lye for our water bath. It's a great way to ease into it and get comfortable with lye. If you're unsure about it you can also use baking soda instead of lye. We've got both methods in the recipe (linked below).
These pretzels are super easy to make and they bake up beautifully. Our pretzels ended up more like a pretzel bun, but we actually loved them that way. We sliced them open and made sandwiches with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers and red onion. It was the perfect lunch!
Episode Links
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~ Pretzel Recipe
~ Sourdough Bread with Larry Harris
~ Pretzel episode using baking soda
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