The heavenly pretzel bun
Dish goes well with sausage
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
A successful grilled hamburger or sau-
sage isn’t just about the meat. No matter how
good the meat is, without a good bun, the
effort is compromised.
This holds true of sausage. I love to grind
my own. The effort is significant, but with a
good grinder, one can produce a large vari-
ety of good burgers or sausages without pre-
servatives. One can also adapt the seasoning
to be spicy, mild or herbaceous. Sausage can
be crafted with pork, lamb or beef — or a bit
of all three.
On a warm day with a small bonfire to
roast sausages, my wife, Laurie Anderson,
prepared homemade pretzel buns. I pre-
pared a vegetarian chili and Laurie also put
together a salad of garden greens with feta
and olives. Even served outside on paper
plates, the meal was splendid. A chocolate
stout from Fort George completed the per-
fect summer fete.
This recipe is one of Laurie’s favorites.
Pretzel Buns
Ingredients
• 1 cup of milk
• 8 ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup of light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of active dried yeast
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of high gluten flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt (and more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• Two cloves of grated garlic
• ½ cup of baking soda
Preparation
Heat the milk, water, brown sugar and
honey to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprin-
kle the active dried yeast over the warm liq-
uid mixture. Allow the mixture to rest for 10
minutes.
Combine the flour and salt in a separate
bowl.
Melt the unsalted butter and add the
cloves of grated garlic. Set aside to cool.
Add all but a ½ cup of the flour mix-
ture to the liquid in the mixing bowl with
the activated yeast. Add the melted butter
and garlic mixture. Mix for about 5 minutes
using a dough hook. Add the additional flour
(only use what is needed) until the dough has
come together. The dough should be smooth
and elastic, and pull away from the sides of
the bowl.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
Turn the dough out onto a highly floured cut-
ting board and form into eight equal pieces,
each weighing approximately 130 grams.
Form each into a ball and place onto the mat.
Cover with a clean towel. Let the dough rest
in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Lightly dust your work surface again and
roll the balls into 7-inch logs.
Place on the mat again. Cover and allow
to rest for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line
another baking sheet with a silicone mat.
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil, and then
add the baking soda. Place the dough in the
gently boiling water one at a time. Cook for
30 seconds on each side.
Using a slotted spatula, remove the logs
and place them on the mat. Sprinkle the
dough logs with coarsely-grained salt as they
come out of the water. Cut three shallow
diagonal slits on the top of each log. Bake
for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan half-
way through the baking period.
Place the logs on a cooling rack and allow
to cool.
Additions to consider
We used bratwurst, which was par-boiled.
We sliced the tops diagonally like the buns
and then roasted them over our bonfire. Lau-
rie prepared a homemade relish, which we
applied to the buns with stone-ground mus-
tard. A bit of shredded cheddar highlighted
the preparation.
A simple preparation for a salad dressing
is a French combination of one part mustard,
two parts vinegar and three parts vegeta-
ble oil. I like olive oil but safflower and oth-
ers do the trick. A bit of honey sweetens and
finely chopped herbs are great additions —
consider parsley, tarragon or chopped chives.
Photos by David Campiche
Author David Campiche paired his pretzel bun with sausage, salad, vegetarian chili and a stout.
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
The finished pretzel buns on a cooling rack, ready to be devoured.