Kim Boyce's Soft Rye Pretzels

In anticipation of this year's Piglet, we'll be sharing articles, recipes, and tips from past winners over the next three weeks. First up: Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain. Learn more about this year's tournament here, or head to Provisions to add some of the titles to your bookshelf!

Today: After you've made your Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies, you'll want something savory. This is it.   

These pretzels are soft, chewy, and flavorful, with a slight sourness that comes from boiling them in a baking soda bath. The baking soda also gives the pretzels their traditional dark mahogany color. Be sure to boil only a few pretzels at a time and to use the bath for only a single batch of the recipe -- otherwise the baking soda water reduces too far and leaves a metallic bite to the dough. A simple dusting of sea salt, especially flaky Maldon salt, is the best finish to these. Serve a basket full of them with a pot of whole-grain mustard. 

More: Here's how to make that mustard yourself.

Soft Rye Pretzels

Makes 12

2 tablesoons unsalted butter, melted, for the bowl and the baking sheets
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup rye flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup baking soda
Coarse sea salt, such as Maldon

See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here.

Photo by Quentin Bacon