Pretzel Challah

This bread has soft eggy sweetness on the inside and the delicious flavor of pretzel on
the outside. It doesn't have a hard crust, so it is my favorite texture all around. The recipe uses lye, which is a powerful alkali that can be pretty dangerous if you don't take the proper precautions*. It is way more powerful than the common household pretzel making technique of using a baking soda bath, but I believe that this challah is absolutely worth living on the edge.

Serves six small challah loaves

• 1Batch of this challah dough . Do add the cardamom. Follow steps 1-6 and then meet back here.
• 1/4cup Food grade Lye
• 5cups Cold water
• Course sea salt, for sprinkling
• Protective eyewear

1. Once you have made your dough and it is fully risen, divide dough into 6 equal parts. Divide each of those into 3 parts, roll them out into 1-inch ropes, and braid them together. Place on floured baking sheets and freeze for 20-30 minutes, or refrigerate for an hour.
2. As the loaves chill, put on your gloves and eyewear, and prepare the lye bath. In a casserole dish, combine the 5 cups of water and the 1/4 cup of lye. Add the lye very slowly so that it doesn't splash. Gently stir it in.
3. Preheat oven to 400.
4. Prepare two baking sheets with greased parchment paper. Using two spatulas or your gloved hands, dip a loaf into the bath, top side down, and keep it there for 10-15 seconds. (Try to avoid getting the lye water on the bottom of the loaf because it may stick to the parchment when baking.) Place it on a baking sheet, right side up. Repeat with the remaining loaves. Sprinkle the tops with salt and bake for 15-20 minutes, until loaves are golden brown and cooked through.

https://food52.com/recipes/24397-pretzel-challah