Good Morning Bakers!!! I finally baked a Sourdough Pretzel Loaf and it's awesome!!! The outside tastes like a pretzel and the inside is even better! My one inclusion is mild cheddar cheese. I may make a cheese sauce for dipping. I thought I had over proofed it but looks like the crumb is nice and even, it shaped well by keeping its form and it had good oven spring. I encourage you to bake one too. My tip is to use a low hydration dough. @Donna Angelo @Sandy Chong @Henry Hunter Recipe: 165g Active Bubbly Starter 400g water 325g KA bread flour 325g Kirkland all purpose flour 15g Salt Mix together starter & water, mix until water is milky and starter is dissolved . Add all of the flour and mix together for 7 minutes, start mixing with a with a whisk and finish with your hands using a clawing motion. Cover and rest dough for 1 hour. After the 1 hour fermentolyse uncover dough and add the salt. Wet hands slightly and dimple the salt in for 1 minute. At this point you can use the Rubaud method but if you’re unable to do that you can do stretch and folds to incorporate the salt thoroughly. Rest dough for 30 minutes . Complete 10 slap & folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes . Complete 2 sets stretch and folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Complete 2 sets of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest undisturbed for 3-6 hours at 78*F or until your dough has proofed to 75%.Turn dough out onto a floured surface, pre shape dough, cover and let rest 15 minutes. Uncover and laminate dough and shape into a boule. Flip dough upside down into a Banneton. Cover well and cold retard for up to 16 hours. In a large stock pot, boil 5 quarts of water. Once water starts boiling turn dough onto a round bread sling and score. Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into water. Let the baking soda fizz settle then CAREFULLY place bread on sling into the water and spoon water over the whole top of the loaf. Boil loaf for 30 seconds total. Remove from water and QUICKLY place loaf into your baking vessel. Bake 450*F for 30 covered. Rotate pan 180 degrees and bake 25 minutes covered depending on your oven. (It takes 55m in mine). Remove from oven at 190*F and immediately butter the entire outside of loaf and sprinkle Maldon Sea Salt Flakes . Allow loaf to cool COMPLETELY before slicing.

I love baking with freeze dried strawberries! I’ve made this white chocolate strawberry sourdough with fresh strawberries numerous times by adding them in during stretch and folds, and it’s always delicious. I wanted to do something different with this loaf, so I laminated crushed freeze dried strawberries just prior to shaping. Everything about this loaf is amazing!