Old country buttermilk pretzels
Yield: 15 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pk (2-1/4 teaspoons) active Dry yeast
- 2 tb Plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 c Warm water
- 2/3 c Buttermilk or rehydrated Buttermilk powder
- 2 tb (1/4 stick) butter or Margarine
- 1/2 c Cold water
- 4 c All-purpose flour
- 1 ts Salt
- 2 qt Water for boiling the Pretzels
- 1/4 c Baking soda Cornmeal for sprinkling on The baking sheet
- 1 Egg
Instructions:
lightly beaten Coarse salt for the tops This is truly a gourmet pretzel -- a step beyond traditional recipes
from the Old Country. Excellent with beer or cider, but absolutely
irresistible spread with cold sour cream. 350~F. 15 to 25 minutes In
a small bowl, combine the yeast with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the
warm water. Set aside in a warm place until the yeast starts to foam,
about 5 to 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, add the butter to the
buttermilk and bring to a boil. Stir to melt the butter completely if
necessary. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the cold water, stir,
and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl or in the
food processor, combine the flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture
and the cooled buttermilk mixture and mix well. Knead well by hand on
a lightly floured surface or by pulsing about 15 to 20 times in the
food processor, until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn over to coat all
sides. Cover with a damp towel and set the dough in a warm place
until it has doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough
down and knead a few strokes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or wax
paper and place it in the refrigerator until well chilled,
approximately 1 hour. With a knife, cut the dough into 25 equal
pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a cylinder 10 to 12
inches long. (If you prefer larger, soft pretzels, cut the dough into
only 15 pieces and roll into cylinders that are 14 to 16 inches
long.) You will have a more even-looking cylinder if you place the
dough on a firm surface and roll your hands across the top, moving
from the center outward. Shape each cylinder into a pretzel by
forming a loop in the center, twisting the ends and attaching them to
the bottom of the loop. Bring the 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add
the baking soda and the remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar to the water.
Drop the pretzels into the water one at a time and, with a slotted
spoon, remove each one as it pops back up to the surface in about 2
to 3 seconds. Place the pretzels on a towel right side up to drain
for a few minutes. Then place them on a baking sheet which has been
lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Preheat the oven to 350~F. Brush the
tops with the egg and sprinkle lightly and evenly with coarse salt.
Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on size, until well browned.
Cool on a rack. Yield: 15 large or 25 small pretzels.
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
Title: OLD COUNTRY SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD
Categories: Breads
Yield: 6 Servings
2 ts Dry yeast
1/3 c Lukewarm water
1 ts Honey
1 c Lukewarm water
3 tb Molasses
1 tb Oil
1/2 c Mashed potatoes
1 c *onion starter
1 tb Caraway seed
1 tb Salt
2 1/2 c Whole-wheat flour
1/2 c Wheat germ
1 1/2 c Rye flour
2 tb Corn meal
1 Egg, beaten
1 ts Caraway seeds
Sprinkle yeast over 1/3 cup lukewarm water. Add 1 tsp. honey. Let
dissolve for five minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup
lukewarm water, molasses, oil, mashed potatoes and mix until smooth.
Add yeast mixture, onion starter, caraway seeds and salt. Mix until
well-blended. Add whole-wheat flour, (reserving 1/2 cup for
kneading), and wheat germ, mix well for about 5 minutes. Let dough
rest for 10 minutes. Add rye flour. Knead on a board for about 10
minutes, using 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, until dough is elastic, and
springy." Place dough in an oiled bowl turning it over to coat surface with oil. Cover set bowl in hot water and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours until doubled in bulk. Stir down dough and divide into two loaves. These can be shaped in rounds and placed on an oiled cookie sheet which has been sprinkled with corn meal or they can be placed in oiled loaf pans. Glaze tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Set to rise in an unheated oven for approximately one hour. Turn oven to 400 for 20 minutes then turn it down to 375 and bake for 30 minutes longer or until bread tests done. (For a crustier load put a pan of hot water on oven floor during the first 20 minutes when oven is at 400.) Cool on rack before serving. *To make onion starter add 1 small peeled onion--loosely wrapped in cheesecloth to fresh batch of basic sourdough starter mixture and leave to sour at room temperature for at least three days. Before making old country rye bread add a second cup of water and a second cup of flour to the onion starter leaving it at room temperature overnight. 2 loaves. From: The Rodale Cookbook Shared By: Pat Stockett
