Blackthorne Sea Salt & Cardamom Pretzels

Here at Cottage Foods we are loving these beautiful and delicate pretzels made with Blackthorn Sea Salt and cardamom are the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. Serve with male syrup for the ultimate January treat.

Ingredients

• Fermipan Yeast 2 tsp

• Heygates Fine Lady Plain Flour 1kg

• Milk 250ml, warmed

• Tate & Lyle Light Soft Brown Sugar 30g

• Lemon 1, zested

• Triple Lion Whole Green Cardamoms 2 tsp, roughly crushed (split the pods to get them out first)

• Muller Dairy Salted Butter 80g, melted

• Chef William Bicarbonate Of Soda 3 tbsp

• Blackthorne Scottish Sea Salt Flakes 2 tbsp

Method

Stir the yeast into 250ml warm water and leave for about 5 minutes. Put the flour, 2 tsp Blackthorne Scottish Sea Salt Flakes, milk, brown sugar, lemon zest, cardamom and melted butter into a large mixing bowl, then stir in the yeast water.

Mix and knead the mixture for about 10 minutes to make a firm dough that springs back when you press your finger into it, then put it in a large bowl.

Leave, covered with a damp towel and in a warm place, for approximately 1.5 hours or until it is risen and springy.

Knock it back by kneading it briefly and divide into 8 or 16 balls.

Using your hands, roll each ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, to make a long snake-like rope, about 40cm long with a slight bulge in the middle and tapering off at the ends.

Twist each into a pretzel shape and secure the ends. Put on a floured baking sheet.

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Bring 1.5 litres of water to a simmer in a large shallow saucepan, and stir in the baking soda.

Using a wide spider, dip each pretzel into the simmering bicarbonate of soda solution for about 5 seconds, remove and place on an baking sheet.

Sprinkle with Blackthorne Scottish Sea Salt Flakes and slash the dough 1cm deep in its thickest section.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Then…. Enjoy!