Pretzel Dough

2 1/2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, with The Mother

In a large bowl, add all three ingredients and stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and store on the counter at room temperature for 12 - 24 hours before baking.

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp turbinado

1/2 package of yeast

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil

In a mixing bowl, add the warm water (100 - 110*F) with the sugar and yeast, stirring gently. Allow it to rest for 10 min. It should become foamy which lets you know the yeast is active.

Next, add in the soaked dough and begin to mix on medium speed. Slowly add the 1 cup all-purpose flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Allow the dough to knead for a total of 3 min. You may need to add more flour in half-cup increments since it should only be slightly tacky, which will depend on how warm and humid your kitchen is.

Flour a smooth surface and turn the dough out of the bowl. Knead it into a smooth ball. Add the olive oil to a large bowl, add the dough, and turn it around to coat all sides. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.

It will double in size.

Turn the dough out onto a smooth, floured surface and knead a few times to condense the dough. Cut it into six equal pieces and smooth them into balls. Allow them to rest for 1o min.

8 cups water

1/4 cup baking soda

2 tbsp turbinado

1 small egg + 1 tbsp water

2 tbsp coarse seas salt

6 tbsp German Sweet Mustard

2 bratwurst sausages, cooked & thinly sliced

3 tbsp sauerkraut

Preheat the oven to 450*F. In a large pot over high heat, add the water and turbinado and bring to a low boil. Then add the baking soda.

Return to the dough and flatten into 6 inch discs. Add them one at a time to the water for 45 - 60 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon or spider and drain for a moment on a tea towel, then flip onto a large baking sheet topped with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water, then brush onto the tops of the pretzel dough. Add coarse sea salt to the edges.

Bake in the oven for 18 min.

Remove from the oven and top each with 1 tbsp of the German Sweet Mustard and 8 thin slices each of cooked bratwurst. (To cook the bratwurst, heat the oven to 350*F and cook for 30 min, flipping the bratwurst once so it cooks evenly on both sides.) Cook the pretzel pizza for 5 min. Top with approximately 1 tsp each of sauerkraut and serve immediately.

~Yields 6 servings.

Recipe printed from Le Grand Fromage: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/

URL to recipe: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/10/german-pretzel-pizza.html