Key points to making good pretzels
See Mauritzio Leo’s detailed post about pretzels on his phenomenal site. He advises the following:
- Degas heavily when dividing.
- Mix in a metal or plastic bowl, not glass. Alkali will attack glass, eventually making it cloudy and weakening the structure. Have some diluted vinegar on hand to quickly rinse your hands should they get lye solution on them.
- If you plan to eat them later, don’t add the salt before baking (which tends to go bad quickly). They’ll keep in a bread box or a bag with a few paper towels underneath (to absorb moisture).
- They do freeze well! Thaw them in the fridge, then reheat them under the broiler until warm.
I also vacuum-seal pretzels for later consumption once they have cooled down.