Chewy Pretzels

Makes 8 pretzels Total time: about 1 hour + rising

WHISK:

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp. rye flour

2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (1 pkg.)

1 tsp. kosher salt

COMBINE:

1 1/4 cups water

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

BOIL:

8 cups water

1/4 cup baking soda

WHISK:

1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water Pretzel or coarse salt

Coat a bowl with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flours and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, then whisk in kosher salt.

Combine 11/ 4 cups water, oil, and brown sugar; add to flour mixture. Mix dough on medium speed with a dough hook until combined and dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 4 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (and not sticky), adding flour if necessary.

Place dough in prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight). Punch dough down, divide into eight even portions, and cover with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 450° with racks in top and bottom thirds. Generously coat two baking sheets with nonstick spray.

Boil 8 cups water in a large pot; stir in baking soda.

Roll one portion of dough into a 30-inch rope (with floured hands if necessary); rest and reroll if rope shrinks. Shape rope into a “U”, cross ends twice, then bring twisted ends over and press to firmly seal.

Add pretzel to boiling water solution. Boil pretzel 30 seconds, then flip and boil 30 seconds more. Transfer pretzel to prepared baking sheet using a skimmer. Repeat rolling, shaping, and boiling with remaining portions of dough.

Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water, then brush on pretzels. Sprinkle pretzels with pretzel salt.

Bake pretzels until golden, 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let pretzels rest 10 minutes on baking sheets before serving.

Per pretzel: 273 cal; 5g total fat (1g sat); 12mg chol; 1523mg sodium; 48g carb; 2g fiber; 8g protein

1. When rolling, only flour your hands if necessary. Too much flour will make the dough hard to roll.

2. Shape the 30-inch-long rope into a letter “U”, then cross the ends over one another twice.

3. Flip the twisted ends of the pretzel down and press the ends into the bottom of the pretzel to seal.

4. Boil the pretzels in water with baking soda to set their shape, help them brown, and make them chewy.