Originally Posted by
tropit
I've been reading about how to make sourdough, pretzel buns for hamburgers. Some of the ingredients listed in many of the recipes are kind of odd, like, "sourdough starter discard," " non-diastatic malt powder," instant yeast (even though there is already starter,) baking soda, etc. I'm a little befuddled.
Has anyone ever made sourdough, pretzel buns before? What role do these odd ingredients play?
Thanks,
I have never made the pretzel buns but have baked a lot of sourdough over the years. The discarded sourdough dough starter will add a lot of delicious sourdough flavor but is over the hill when it comes to leavening the dough. That is why you need the instant yeast. The non diastatic malt powder can be added to the dough as food for the yeast. It can also be used instead of lye, in a boiling water bath to give your pretzels a hard shiney crust. Not sure why they are asking for baking soda. Could be to help with the leaveing, to adjust the pH of the dough or to put in the boiling water bath. Good luck, sounds delish!