Comments on: Pretzels for Oktoberfest

By: Samantha

Samantha — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:30:49 +0000

i make homemade pretzels at least once a week using baking soda with perfect results. i used to measure it out at 1 tbsp per cup of water, but now i just use a bunch of baking soda in enough water to cover my pretzels. last night, i made garlic pretzel rolls (1 cup of flour yielded two large rolls that we happily slathered with the best vermont butter i’ve ever had). we promptly made two more.

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:05:47 +0000

Just saw this post by Hank Shaw on lye-cured olives http://honest-food.net/2012/10/15/curing-olives-lye-recipe/ (Michael I just spotted your 2009 post on the same subject). Hank’s research leads him to believe that there is no difference between food-grade lye and 100 percent sodium hydroxide drain cleaner.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:32:59 +0000

Saw this post, made the pretzels, LOVED the pretzels! Thanks!

By: nossi @ The Kosher Gastronome

nossi @ The Kosher Gastronome — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:18:30 +0000

I saw this tip from McGee a year ago or so, and have done this the few times when making bagels with great results

By: Patrick Housh

Patrick Housh — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:16:09 +0000

Not when on a septic system.

By: John

John — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:47:32 +0000

I wonder if that was Peter Reinhart or his publisher’s lawyer talking. On the Good Eats episode that dealt with pretzels Alton more or less said that lye is way better but he was showing the baking soda method for legal reasons. There is a difference between a pretzel and a pretzel shaped bagel (which isn’t to say one is objectively better than the other).

By: Victoria

Victoria — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:30:55 +0000

I think I got my food-grade lye on Amazon, but I’m not 100 per cent sure. I laughed when you talked about base v acid. As my chemistry teacher used to say, “Do as you oughta, turn acid to water,” and “May his rest be long and placid; he turned water into acid.”

By: Marie | FeelingFoodish

Marie | FeelingFoodish — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 02:23:34 +0000

is the instant yeast active or instant?

By: allen

allen — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:21:04 +0000

Lye is easy and safe with a few precautions.
You can’t beat the effectiveness of removing the bitterness in unripe olives.
Keep vinegar near by, it will neutralize the lye if you happen to spill some.
Mix outdoors, or well ventilated, and not during happy hour.
I’m not beyond that last idiotic step.

By: John

John — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:49:59 +0000

Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide, lye is sodium hydroxide.

By: Carol C

Carol C — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:34:16 +0000

try asian markets they have lye water, have used it for another recipe worked out fine

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:49:11 +0000

I’d do it with my kids, not concerned, just need to be careful. Gloves are required if dipping by hand.

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:47:33 +0000

cool! thanks for this comment

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:46:27 +0000

lye water not good for cleaning pipes?

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:45:22 +0000

this is what someone on facebook also recommended as replacement for lye.

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:44:50 +0000

I believe I considered doing this but did go ahead and buy food grade lye: http://ruhlman.com/2009/10/how-to-cure-olives/

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:44:03 +0000

Forgot to mention why I’m not crazy about making bagels with lye. Jeffrey Hamelman’s wonderful “Bread” book describes how to make bagels with lye. He says to wear plastic gloves that go well up the forearm and have eye protection. His technique is not for the home baker. Wire screen with two handles and a second wire screen without handles that fits on top of first to keep bagels from floating. Stainless steel tank large enough to hold the screens and deep enough to completely submerge the bagels. He dips chilled bagels for five seconds in the lye solution.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:31:39 +0000

I guess my pH meter must be broken then.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:29:59 +0000

Peter Reinhart says, for safety, you can use a baking soda dipping solution: 8 tsp (57g) baking soda, 2 cups (454g) warm water, and an optional egg white for sheen. I haven’t tried it, but I’m not crazy about working with lye.

By: Rich Hawley

Rich Hawley — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:14:18 +0000

Driving off the water is of no use when you are just going to turn around and add it to water. And the heat of boiling (thermal decomposition) releases the CO2.
Baking soda works just fine at a ratio of 1/2 cup to 2 quarts of water. I make this a couple times each week.