Name: Bavarian Soft Pretzels
Yield: Makes 12 pretzels
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp [20 g] barley malt (substitute honey); 1 Tbsp [20 g] fine sea salt; 2 Tbsp [20 g] instant yeast; 6 cups plus 2 Tbsp [860 g] all-purpose flour; 2 cups [455 g] water, room temperature; 2 Tbsp [30 g] lard, room temperature; 2 to 4 Tbsp coarse kosher salt or pretzel salt, for garnish; ¼ cup [60 g] food-grade lye

Our traditional German-style, Bavarian soft pretzels, dipped in mustard or spread with tasty Bacon Pimento Cheese, are an irresistible addition to Oktoberfest festivities. We make ours the old-fashioned way with a bit of lard and a lye dip to get the distinctive pretzel flavor, color, and texture: soft inside and chewy outside. Substitute butter for lard if you’d like to make them vegetarian and skip the lye bath if you’re making these with kids (see