Get Fermented! Kefir Pretzels

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups sourdough starter
• 1 cup kefir or mesophilic yogurt
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons malt syrup
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 cups water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
• flake or kosher salt for topping (Maldon sea salt recommended)

1. Combine flour, sourdough starter, kefir, butter, malt syrup and salt in a bowl.
2. Knead in bowl for 3-5 minutes.
3. This is a dense and dry dough and so may take some time before fully coming together.
4. Cover and rest dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
5. Knead dough for 10-15 minutes.
6. Cover with plastic wrap or a wet towel and let rest for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours depending on ambient temperature and desired sourness of final pretzel.
7. Preheat oven to 450F and bring a pot with water and baking soda to a rolling boil.
8. Separate dough into 16 pieces for medium-size pretzels.
9. Roll each dough piece into a cylinder roughly 20 inches in length and twist into a traditional pretzel shape.
10. Once all pretzels are shaped, place 1-2 pretzels at a time into the boiling water and baking soda solution for 30 seconds.
11. Remove each pretzel with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment-lined pan.
12. Top each pretzel with flake or kosher salt.
13. Bake pretzels in oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a deep golden-brown color.
14. Place on cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

bread flour, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, mesophilic yogurt, butter, malt syrup, salt, water, baking soda, topping

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/get-fermented-kefir-pretzels-recipe/ (may not work)