10:00 PM – Stiff Starter Initialization: In a small glass jar, combine your 10g of starter culture with 35g of water and whisk cleanly. Stir in 70g of bread flour. Knead the mixture with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes to form a tight, stiff dough ball. Cover loosely and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it completely doubles in size and feels puffy.

8:00 AM – The Core Mix: In your stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine 135g of warm water, 25g of brown sugar (or barley malt syrup), 7g of salt, and all 100g of your active overnight sweet stiff starter. Whisk briefly to break up the dense starter mass, then add all 315g of bread flour.

The Mechanical Knead: Mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until a tight, cohesive, and dry dough forms. Drop in the 30g of softened unsalted butter piece by piece. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead continuously for 6 to 8 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough turns satin-smooth and clear of the bowl sides.

Primary Bulk Proof: Shape the stiff dough into a neat ball, place it into a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly, and let it ferment at a warm room temperature of 75–80°F (24–27°C) for roughly 4 hours. Because this is a low-hydration stiff dough, it will not expand drastically like a loose artisan loaf, but it should look visibly puffy and lighter.

12:00 PM – Cutting and Shaping: Tip the dough out onto a clean, completely un-floured work surface. (Note: Do not use flour; the dough needs friction against the counter to roll smoothly). Divide the dough ball cleanly into 4 to 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece under your palms outward into a long, uniform rope roughly 1/2-inch thick. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the ropes into 1-inch bite-sized pieces.

Setting up the Bath: In a large, wide stockpot, bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, gradually and carefully pour in the 1/4 cup of baking soda. (Caution: The water will foam up violently the moment the soda hits, so introduce it slowly). Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

The Alkaline Dip: Working in small batches of 10 to 15 pieces at a time, drop the dough bites directly into the boiling baking soda water. Let them boil for exactly 20 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to scoop them out swiftly, letting excess water drain off completely, and transfer them onto your prepared parchment-lined baking sheets. Space the bites roughly 1/2-inch apart.

Topping and Baking: Brush the top of each boiled bite lightly with your prepared egg wash mixture, then immediately sprinkle a layer of coarse pretzel salt over the damp surfaces. Slide the baking sheets onto the middle racks of your preheated oven. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 12 to 15 minutes until the exterior turns a uniform, deep mahogany brown color.

Finishing Touch: Remove the sheets from the oven. While the pretzel bites are piping hot, immediately brush their crowns generously with melted butter. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving warm alongside warm cheese sauce or honey mustard dip!