Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Method

1. 1

   Stir the starter, water, honey, and butter. Add the flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Rest 30 minutes, then pinch in the salt. Knead until smooth, about 6 minutes.

2. 2

   Cover and rise until puffy and increased by about half, often 4 to 7 hours. Divide into 8 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 50 centimeters long and twist it into a pretzel. Set them on parchment.

3. 3

   Rest 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 450°F. Bring a wide pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda carefully. It will foam.

4. 4

   Boil the pretzels 20 to 30 seconds each, turning once. Lift them out, set them back on the parchment, and sprinkle with coarse salt.

5. 5

   Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until they are deep brown. The pale ones taste like bread, not pretzels. Cool a few minutes. The baking-soda water is not a drink. Pour it down the sink.

From the kitchen

• A true bakery pretzel uses a lye bath. Lye is not this recipe. Baking soda browns them well enough for a home oven, and it is the safe bath.
• If the ropes snap while you roll them, the dough needs 5 more minutes of rest.