Gluten-Free Soft Pretzels, Auntie Anne’s Style

Ingredients

• 1.75 cup Warm milk (About 95°F)
• 1.625 tbsp Whole blond psyllium husk (Use high-purity blond husk)
• 3 cup All-purpose gluten-free flour blend (Prefer a blend based on finely ground white and brown rice flours with starches; add more for sprinkling)
• 2 tsp Xanthan gum (Omit if the flour blend already contains xanthan gum)
• 0.25 cup Tapioca starch or flour (Superfine glutinous short-grain white rice flour may be substituted)
• 0.5 cup Powdered milk (Nonfat or lowfat; whole milk powder may also be used)
• 2 tsp Instant yeast
• 0.25 tsp Cream of tartar
• 0.25 tsp Baking soda (For the dough)
• 0.25 cup Light brown sugar (Packed)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt (For the dough)
• 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter (At room temperature, for the dough)
• 2 Egg whites (At room temperature; 50 g aquafaba may be substituted)
• 6 cup Water (For the baking-soda bath)
• 1 tbsp Baking soda (For the boiling bath)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt (For the boiling bath)
• Coarse salt (For sprinkling)
• Unsalted butter (Melted, for brushing the boiled pretzels)
• 6 tbsp Mayonnaise (For optional dipping sauce)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (For optional dipping sauce)
• 3 tbsp Honey (For optional dipping sauce)
• 0.25 tsp Kosher salt (For optional dipping sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Dry mustard powder (Optional; adds depth to the dipping sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the warm milk, about 95°F, in a 4-cup measuring cup or similarly sized bowl. Sprinkle the psyllium husk over the milk and whisk thoroughly. Let the mixture stand for at least 30 seconds, until the psyllium absorbs the liquid and forms a gel.

2. 2

   In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, tapioca starch, powdered milk, instant yeast, cream of tartar, baking soda, and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps in the sugar.

3. 3

   Add the salt to the dry mixture and whisk again until evenly distributed.

4. 4

   Add the apple cider vinegar, room-temperature butter, room-temperature egg whites, and the milk-psyllium mixture. Mix with the paddle attachment, or by hand with a sturdy spatula, on low speed just until a cohesive dough forms.

5. 5

   Continue with the paddle attachment, or replace it with the dough hook after scraping the dough from the paddle. Beat on medium-high and then high speed for 4 minutes. The dough should first clump around the hook and eventually begin sticking to the sides of the bowl again.

6. 6

   Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or proofing bucket large enough for it to expand to nearly twice its size.

7. 7

   Cover tightly with oiled plastic wrap or the oiled lid of the proofing bucket. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

8. 8

   Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper. Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle the top lightly with flour, and fold it over itself a few times until smoother.

9. 9

   Divide the dough with a bench scraper or large knife into 8 equal portions, about 5 ounces each. Roll each portion into a ball.

10. 10

    Work with one ball at a time. Using the palms of both hands and light pressure directed away from one another, roll it into a thin rope about 12 inches long. Use only a light dusting of flour if needed to prevent sticking.

11. 11

    Shape the rope into an upside-down U. Cross the two ends over one another into an X positioned 2 to 3 inches from each end.

12. 12

    Grab each crossed end with the opposite hand, criss-cross the ends once, then fold them down onto the rounded end of the U. Press the ends firmly onto the round portion to adhere; moisten them slightly if needed.

13. 13

    Arrange the shaped pretzels on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Do not overproof.

14. 14

    For the optional dipping sauce, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and optional dry mustard powder in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

15. 15

    As the pretzels near the end of their rise, preheat the oven to 400°F.

16. 16

    In a large pot, dissolve the baking soda and salt in approximately 6 cups of water. Bring the solution to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

17. 17

    When the pretzels have finished rising, score each one about 1/8 inch deep in three places: once on each arm and once at the top center of the twist.

18. 18

    Place a few pretzels at a time in the boiling baking-soda bath. Boil for less than 1 minute total, gently flipping them after about 30 seconds so both sides are treated.

19. 19

    Turn the pretzels right-side up again and remove them with a strainer, allowing excess water to drain back into the pot. Return them to the baking sheets.

20. 20

    Brush each boiled pretzel generously with melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with coarse salt.

21. 21

    Bake on the center rack at 400°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for about 15 minutes more, until the pretzels are dark brown all over and firm to the touch.

22. 22

    Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes before serving with the dipping sauce.

Notes

The recipe yields 8 large pretzels. Recommended flour blends include Better Batter Original or Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend with xanthan gum; avoid Cup4Cup, Measure for Measure, and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 for this yeast dough. If using King Arthur gluten-free bread flour, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk gradually as needed. To make the dough without psyllium, increase total xanthan gum to 3 teaspoons, though the dough will be less smooth and the pretzels may not rise as high. The structured recipe lists 372 kcal per pretzel; nutrition here is estimated per ingredient and includes the optional sauce ingredients separately.

Nutrition per serving

• bread
• snack
• baked
• gluten-free
• vegetarian
• yeast-raised
• soft pretzels
• American