1teaspoonred chili flakes(or more to make the pretzels spicier)
1/2teaspoonpaprika(optional)
2-3cupsflour(see instructions)
1teaspoonsea salt
To boil pretzels
8cupswater
1/4cupbaking soda
Oil for brushing, , coarse salt for sprinkling, mustard for serving
Instructions
Make chili infused oil
Heat oil in a small pot with chili flakes to infuse the oil. Don't worry if the chili flakes burn.
Strain the oil and cool.
Make the dough
In a bowl of a stand mixer combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes until the yeast dissolves and the mixture starts to foam.
Add pumpkin to the yeast mixture and mix.
Once chili infused oil is cool, add it to the pumpkin-yeast mixture. Add paprika if using.
Add a cup of flour and start mixing with a paddle. Add salt.
Switch to the hook attachment and add flour half cup at a time. I used 2.5 cups of flour. It depends on how humid it is that day and on the flour you are using. It could take up to 3 or even more cups of flour. The dough needs to be soft and it needs to gather into a ball around the hook.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about one or two hours until doubled in size.
Shape the pretzels
Once the dough is risen, punch it, knead it for a couple of minutes and divide into 16 pieces.
Roll each piece into a long rope (50-60 cm) and fold into pretzels.
Place the pretzels onto baking sheets covered with parchment paper, cover with kitchen towels and let rise for another hour or so. Note, I only let them rise for about 15 minutes this time and it was fine.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Boil the pretzels
Once the pretzels doubled in size and became puffy, boil 8 cups of water with 1/4 of baking soda.
Drop pretzels into the boiling soda water one at a time a let them cook about 10 seconds on each side. Place them back onto parchment right after.
After all the pretzels are boiled, brush them with oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for 15-20 minutes (if using two baking sheets, then switch them midway) until they are golden.