Can I make pretzel dough from regular bread dough?

[GypsyPicker]

Maybe a silly question, but I've only made pizzas in my brick oven and would like to make pretzels for an Oktoberfest party on Saturday. I have a case of fresh dough (20 24oz. bags) from my bread supplier (I use this dough daily for pizzas) and would like to use this dough, with modifications as needed and as possible, because I don't have the time to make a large amount before Saturday. Can I mix this dough with butter, more flour, etc. to make it more pretzel-like? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

Scott

[splatgirl]

Soft New York style pretzels are all that I am familiar with homemade. Google and you'll find several recipes all of which are more or less a lean, low hydration yeast dough with a little sugar added. Compare that to what you think or know is in your purchased dough...
The first couple of hard pretzel recipes I looked at appear to be the same basic formula as soft pretzels.

[GypsyPicker]

Thanks Splatgirl (gotta ask how you came up with your moniker) The pretzel doughs I've seen have more sugar, unsalted butter, etc... what I'm wondering is if I can add these ingredients to dough which is already made or if I need to start from scratch. Thanks again.

[splatgirl]

Working butter into a completed dough is not at all an unusual technique in baking. Sugar would be a little tougher since it won't have a way to dissolve easily.

I think it would be a lot easier, faster and produce a more predictable result to start from scratch and use your existing dough for something else...foccacia to stash in the freezer, maybe?

Be careful baking these. Anything over about 450F with butter and sugar will burn riteawayquick.

[GypsyPicker]

If it's not obvious, I'm not a pro baker, lol, although I've made over 1,000 pizzas this summer. I keep the oven at lower temp (450-500) once a week for strombolis and calzones and will do the same for the pretzels. I think I'll add just a bit of butter and no sugar and see how that works. I'm going to experiment tonight and hopefully have a good product to serve tomorrow. Thanks so much for your help!

[Wiley]

In hopes that this may be of some help: I remember seeing a segment on making pretzels on America's Test Kitchen. I did a search and although I couldn't find the episode online (not saying it isn't there somewhere...perhaps Hulu?) Anyway, I found this site that looks like it might help with your quest:

Soft Pretzels My Year Cooking with Chris Kimball

The person posting the article used honey instead of sugar and so perhaps it might be possible to more easily incorporate it instead of sugar to increase sweetness in your already made dough.

Hope this helps,
Wiley

[Ken524]

I think I would try the bread dough just the way it is.

Form the pretzels, let them rise a bit, then dunk them in a boiling solution of 3-4 quarts water & 2 tblsp Baking soda. When they rise to the top, lift them out and drain. Sprinkle with salt and/or caraway seeds and pop into the oven. If you don't like them, give me a shout and I'll come over and eat them

[splatgirl]

Pretzel bath: water, a bottle of dark beer, sugar, baking soda

[dmun]

Of course there's always the fun-to-talk-about food-grade-lye.

[azatty]

Originally Posted by dmun

Of course there's always the fun-to-talk-about food-grade-lye.

Yet another use for a wood fired oven--Creating ash for home-brewed lye.