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Pretzel with caraway seeds

Recipe Submitted By: bakingmad

This Pretzel recipe is gorgeous, especially with the added Caraway Seeds.

680 ml	Warm Water
7 grams	Easy Bake Yeast (Allinson)
1 kg	Very Strong Bread Flour (Allinson Premium White) plus extra for dusting
4 tsp	Sea Salt
1 tsp	Granulated Sugar (Silver Spoon Homegrown)
1 tbsp	Olive Oil
1 tbsp	Caraway Seeds
1	Happy Eggs beaten
1 tbsp	Water

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Stir the yeast into 500g of the flour. Add the warm water and stir to form a loose batter. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place for a few hours, or until the batter has almost doubled in size and the surface is covered with air bubbles.
Place the remaining flour in a mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar, followed by the olive oil, caraway seeds and the risen pretzel batter. Mix well to form a smooth dough that comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead well for several minutes until smooth and elastic. Grease a baking tray.
Roll the dough out into a sausage shape about 2 cm|1\" thick. Form the dough into a large \'figure of eight\' pretzel shape and pinch the ends together to secure. Place on the baking tray. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 220C,430F, gas 7.
Mix the beaten egg with the water and brush the mixture over the pretzel. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.