Soft Pretzel Rolls

Soft pretzel's are delicious. Don't you think?

Soft Pretzel Rolls 

These are from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, except I'm using a baking soda bath instead of a lye bath.  You don't have to wear gloves and put up signs if you use baking soda.

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour (225 g)
3 Tbs. Whole Wheat Flour (25 g), or:
          Use 1 1/2 + 2 Tbs. APF and 1 Tbs. wheat bran
3/4 tsp. yeast (2.5 g)
1/2 tsp. malt powder (1.5 g)
1 1/8 tsp. salt (7.5 g)
1/2 Cup + warm water (127 g)
1 Tbs. olive oil
Kosher or Coarse Sea Salt, for topping

Sift together the flours, yeast, and malt powder in a mixing bowl, then mix in the salt.  We are going to use a straight dough (no starter) method for this bread.  This means that we add the water directly and move straight on to kneading either by hand for about 10 minutes or with the dough hook on a stand mixer for about 7 minutes.

When ready divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into rolls. Allow to rise on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes while the oven heats to 400 F.  Refrigerate the rolls after they have risen for about 15 minutes while we prepare the baking soda bath.  Refrigerating firms the dough so the rolls don't collapse when we add them to the bath.

For the bath add 1/3 cup baking soda to 5 cups water.  Bring this to a boil.  Please do not bring the water to a boil then add the baking soda, this results in disaster...

Once boiling, add rolls two or three at a time to the bath for about 30 seconds per side.  Remove from the bath and set on the final baking sheet.  Slash down the center of each roll and add topping before baking.

Toss a hand-full of ice cubes onto the oven floor before adding the tray of rolls.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until deeply golden brown.  Enjoy with mustard.