I made some pretzel buns using bicarbonate of soda, rather than lye. The colour was good. The taste was a little off, which was expected as I didn't use lye. However, the outer part was over the top chewy. I dipped them in the boiling solution for around 20 seconds each. Before I go again, does that need to be reduced or did I do something else incorrectly?
Reposted with image.
by UniqueIrishGuy27164
2 Comments
You need steam for baking. Additionally, spray it with a water duster directly out of the oven and cover it with a fresh towel for brioche like soft rolls. Let them uncovered for a crunchier, split crust. You’ll not achieve the classic texture without lye, though.
Boiling is for bagels and gelatinizes your outer crust creating that thick chewy layer. Pretzels are dipped in room temp lye solution. The outside still gets gelatinized but not to the degree that boiling them in baking soda water does so the crust is less chewy and easier to bite through. Less bagel-like.