Czech Soft Pretzel Preclík Recipe

3 cups of bread flour
1 TBSP of confectioners’ sugar
1 TSP of active dry yeasts
½ TSP of salt

Shortly stir with a hand whisk just enough to combine all ingredients.

4 TBSP (½ stick) of butter – soft, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1 cup of lukewarm milk – about 90 to 100°F *

Knead on low speed until all ingredients are partially incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

Then increase the speed to medium-high and knead until all ingredients are fully combined and the dough is formed (about 3 – 4 minutes).

Remove the bowl from the kitchen mixer and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise in a warm place until it has about doubled in size (about 1 – 2 ½ hours). *

Notes:

• Using the scale is optional.
• Total weight of the dough is about 30 OZ

Form each piece of dough into compact dough balls with your hands.

Cover the balls with a dish towel and let them rest for about 10 minutes before the next step.

Roll each piece into a strand – a long rope shape with a thickness of about ¾ – 1” and a length of at least 30”.

Take both ends of the strands and bring them close to yourself while creating the round shape.

Then twist both ends (in 1/6 length from both sides).

Then pinch both ends of the strands close to the center of the strand (but leave at least 1 ½” space between) to create the famous pretzel shape.

Then, place fingers from both hands in the pretzel and gently stretch in all directions.

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet and form the remaining pretzels.

Set oven to preheat at 380°F.

Prepare a brushing mixture by briefly hand-whisking 1 egg with 3 TBSP of milk in a measuring pitcher (for whisking, you can also use a silicone brush) to create a brushing mixture, and then brush all pretzels (keep the rest for the second brushing).

Let it proof on a countertop for about 15 minutes.

Gently brush all pretzels again with the remaining brushing mixture right before baking.

Generously sprinkle with salt crystals or optionally with sesame seeds, crushed pepper flakes, or poppy seeds.

Bake in a preheated oven until a nice golden color is reached, which means the pretzels are done (usually about 15 -20 minutes).

Rotate the baking sheets in the middle of baking.

Let cool on a cooling grate (at least partially) before serving.

If you use salt crystals for sprinkling, try to eat the pretzels sooner as the crystals will tend to melt in just a couple of days.

An older pretzel can be heated in the microwave right before serving – it will give you a sense of freshness.