Homemade Pretzels

Pretzels are simply bread dough that has been coated with a lye solution and baked. Lye is a base, and every bit as burning as a powerful acid when mixed with water, so do be careful, especially if baking with kids. Wear rubber gloves if you’re concerned, but I find that working carefully with spatulas is fine. The general rule of thumb is 4 percent lye by weight—that is, 4 grams lye for every 100 milliliters water. Do use parchment paper as the lye may discolor your baking sheet. Order foo